Passport to Kindergarten End of Year Celebration recognizes the children and families who have participated in this kindergarten readiness program for the past year! The focus of the End of Year Celebration is on nature exploration in the park and trees. The entire event will be focused on hands-on nature exploration, and families will be encouraged to visit all our stations, meet our animal ambassadors, and enjoy the evening in their park. The activity area wil be a tree cookie station and a station to help participants start their birding challenge. Volunteers will engage preschoolers and their families to learn how to listen and observe the unique things in nature.
Impact:
Passport to Kindergarten is a year-long initiative that promotes literacy and language skills by providing monthly professional development to Preschool teachers, while also offering free enriching learning opportunities to children and families. Volunteers help build access, comfort, convenience, and safety into our programs for all interested in learning. They enable more individualized support for first-time learners and create a better environment for skill-building. Volunteers help people make a stronger connection to nature by making it easy to experience the outdoors in fun activities.
Tasks - Gardening
- Greet and welcome participants
- Assist the staff lead during the program to create a better learning environment for this interactive program
- Volunteers will guide preschoolers and their caregivers through a activities with either the tree cookie station or the birding challenge.
- Assist families to stop and observe, listen and discover what they can learn in nature.
Eligibility: This opportunity is open to individual, long-term and short-term volunteers, ages 16 and up who have qualified as School Program Volunteer.
- GET STARTED: This opportunity requires Volunteer Onboarding (Profile, Volunteer Handbook Signature, and for those 18 and up an eligible background check), plus School Program Volunteer training. Simply click the blue RESPOND button to begin completing the required qualifications, or click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer.
Additional Notes
- Parking & Meeting Instructions: Click here for a map of Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. Volunteers should park and meet staff at Skeeter's Garden. Volunteers are scheduled to arrive an hour before the school arrives for a brief orientation, review of stations, and to gather supplies needed.
- Cancellation: If you need to cancel a shift at the last minute or are running late, please contact your Staff Lead at the provided number.
- Environment & Physical Demands: This program takes place outdoors - Please be aware of outdoor exposure risks (i.e. sun, poison ivy, insects, etc.). Volunteers should be aware of seasonal allergies (i.e., grass, pollen, bees, etc.), and may participate in some bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting objects of 15lbs or more. Volunteers may lead a group over uneven terrain and may be walking (1-to-3-mile hikes) during this opportunity.
- Dress: Volunteers should dress for the weather, wear their MetroParks name badge and t-shirt, long pants, closed-toe shoes, and have their favorite teaching aids, water bottle, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Learn more about Programming opportunities with us on the Volunteer Position page! Have questions or need help getting started? Contact Volunteer Services at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or #937-275-7275, or join us at a Volunteer Open House
Want to Branch Out? Exploring multiple opportunities is a great way to 
stay involved, build new skills, and experience different parts of the parks! Consider this/these opportunities:
