Spring 2002

“Interns and Volunteers at the Preschool Who, What, and Why”

Rainbow’s preschool has nurtured collaborations with area colleges and agencies for many years. These collaborations thrive because they are beneficial to all the parties involved. The preschool staff values the extra support, the children thrive on the added attention, the volunteers receive personal satisfaction and rewards, the interns satisfy their educational requirements and still others satisfy a need for community service. In the past year alone we have had people from Assumption College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Quinsigamond Community College, The Junior League of Worcester, CityWorks, and United Way as well as others who come to us independent of an agency.

Some volunteers are invited to contribute their expertise to support children’s growth in specific areas. One such volunteer is our musician-educator, Patsy Mollica. She comes in weekly to help the children and staff develop an appreciation for music, singing, and dance expression. The Junior League readers visit on a monthly basis and focus on furthering the children’s literacy skills by reading to the children and donating books.

Some volunteers visit only once, but have a wonderful impact. Phil, the “snake man” was one of these visitors. Phil is the owner of a pet store. He brought in a variety of snakes, some large and some small, for ‘hands-on’ learning. Some people were excited, some scared but all were certainly attentive. Greg, another volunteer, brought in lobsters, clams and crabs for the children to see, learn and explore. This was quite the experience for inner city dwellers. Then there was Michael, the husband of one of our teachers. He brought in his eighteen-wheeler tanker truck and allowed the children to see it, inside and out. The children were able to sit in the driver’s seat, check out the sleeper room with the television and even saw a picture of their teacher on the dashboard! They even measured themselves against a tire, finding it difficult to believe how BIG the tire was. Lastly, there was a community service volunteer from the Mass College of Pharmacy who enriched the classroom’s curriculum on “Natives Around the World”. She shared stories of her life in a village in India. She brought in her native dress and jewelry from India and allowed the children to dress up in them. She explained about the dot on her forehead that is called a ‘bindi’, and gave the children a sticker for their foreheads. She talked about riding the camels through the desert and taught them to say hello in India’s language.

Needless to say, each of these volunteers enriched the children’s lives enormously. What wonderful examples of ‘hands-on’ learning!

Most volunteers do not offer some spectacular show, but come on a regular basis and offer steady support in the center. Through their interactions and guidance, interns and volunteers are helping to provide the children with opportunities to build their self-esteem, develop social skills, improve self-expression, and practice conflict resolution. It may be just a few hours that a person volunteers, but during that time, they are providing the children with the opportunity to receive the extra attention and guidance that may make the difference in their day.

The teachers and children are not the only ones who receive many wonderful opportunities from volunteering. The volunteers themselves benefit from the opportunity of working with and spending time with Rainbow’s children. For volunteers who are working towards a career involving children they can get hands-on experience with children. Students who are heading into careers in the Social Service areas are provided the opportunity of spending time with an agency that is involved with families and the services that are available to them. Someone who simply enjoys children receives the warmth and affection from the children.

The Rainbow Preschool is in a state of constant bustle and activity throughout the day. The children are engaged in their classroom curriculum; the teachers are busily engaged with the children. Volunteers and interns add a new dimension of opportunities to the dynamics. This is why we build working relationships with agencies and schools. It is the icing on the cake.