Parent Volunteering Opportunities
There are a variety of areas to get active in the school, create an amazing year and fulfill your volunteers hours. Please see the opportunities below and, if interested, click on the link to sign up! We urge you to sign up for more than one area as some positions fill faster than others!
We very much appreciate your time and involvement.
Events
Throughout the school year ILA hosts events for the students, families and community. These events highlight what ILA is all about: community, collaboration, respect, support and diversity.
Our main fundraising events, the Wine Event and our Annual Gala play a huge role in the success of our school as they are our main fundraising sources. These events need to be filled ASAP, so if you are interested in being part of a fun team and helping create another successful Wine or Gala Event, please check them out and sign up!
Wine Event November 7, 2020
Description: The Wine Event is an evening filled with wine-tasting, auctions, a wine roulette and community. Attendees gather to celebrate the fall grape harvest, to sample regional wines from France and the Great Northwest and to purchase delectable wine, all while supporting the school. All proceeds go to ILA.
Responsibilities: 10 Volunteers needed in total.
5 volunteers are needed to work with the Wine Committee Representative, to assist with invitations, entertainment, catering, fundraising, wine procurement, auction, POS (working with a system already in place), check in and out and miscellaneous tasks.
5 Volunteers for the day of the event to assist with set up, check- in, check out and take down as well as Miscellaneous.
FREE childcare is available at all meetings.
Member Profile: Enjoys party planning, working with a team and those that feel comfortable promoting ILA to capture donors. Those wanting to obtain all their volunteer hours through one event. Those that are capable and willing to arrive early day of event and stay after to help. Those with event planning backgrounds highly encouraged, but anyone who is enthusiastic, outgoing and thrives in team setting (and who may also love wine).
Time Required: Varies based on tasks. Volunteering covers all 10 hours required for the year.
Volunteer HERE
Annual Gala April 3, 2020
Description: The Annual Gala is ILA’s single largest fundraising event that brings the community together with a dinner and silent and live auction. The revenue from this event is crucial to ILA’s operating budget and special school projects. This revenue comes from gathering donations from the community, selling tables and teamwork to put it all together. The Gala is themed, so no two years are alike. This special occasion is filled with delicious food, lively music, adult beverages, some dancing and lots of fun.
Responsibilities: 10 volunteers needed in total.
5 Volunteers needed to work with the Gala Committee Representative, to assist with invitations, donation gathering, basket creation, fundraising, food and beverage procurement and organization, entertainment, slideshow creation, inventory management, live auction, silent auction and POS (working with a system already in place), check in and out, as well as miscellaneous tasks.
5 volunteers for the day of the event to assist with set up, check- in, check out and take down as well as Miscellaneous.
Initial kickoff meeting June 25th 4:30pm @ ILA; Monthly meetings thereafter begin in February 2020. FREE childcare is available at all meetings.
Member Profile: Enjoys organizing events, being an ambassador of ILA to promote school and capture donors, working with a team; is capable of lifting and has a positive and go getter energy. Those wanting to obtain all their volunteer hours through one event. Those that are capable and willing to arrive early day of event and stay after to help.
Time Required: Varies based on tasks. Volunteering covers all 10 hours required for the year.
Volunteer HERE
Winter Bazaar November 25, 2019
Description: A fun filled day to kick off Thanksgiving Break and showcase the creative side of ILA. This event is in conjunction with Grandparents day and is a perfect opportunity for families to come together and celebrate. There will be crafts, made by the students and donations of baked goods for sale. This event allows the students an opportunity to share their creativity and accomplishments with their family and is another great way to support the school as all proceeds go to ILA.
Responsibilities: 5 volunteers needed to pick up food and beverages before event. Help with food and drink and booth set up and clean up. Helping with POS as well as miscellaneous tasks.
Member Profile: Has flexibility in schedule and access to transportation that allows them to gather food and beverage items; has ability to stay after event to help clean up. Enjoys meeting new people and discussing school with other parents. Feels comfortable working with POS system and collection of money from booth transactions.
Time Required: Varies depending on tasks chosen: opportunity of 1 - 6 hours.
Volunteer HERE
Grandparents Day November 25, 2019
Description: Grandparents and special friends visit the campus and enjoy a brief program, followed by visits with students in classrooms, and a small brunch. This event helps foster understanding and support among our extended family, promotes community, and allows students an opportunity to share their school experience with family and friends.
Responsibilities: 5 volunteers needed to pick up food and beverages before event. Develop a timeline; promote the event through the Newsletter, and help put up signage for the day of the event, work with staff to organize registration, plan for refreshments and flowers. Organization of a program of speakers (school administration), auction video montage, classroom visits, followed by a light brunch in the school lobby. Help with light lunch set up and clean up as miscellaneous tasks.
Member Profile: Has flexibility in schedule and access to transportation that allows them to gather food and beverage items; has ability to stay after event to help clean up. Enjoys meeting new people and discussing school with other parents. Feels comfortable working with POS system and collection of money from booth transactions.
Time Required: Varies depending on tasks chosen: 1-6 hours.
Volunteer HERE
Kermesse June 23, 2020
Description: A fun filled carnival style celebration to kick off summer break. This event begins after the End of Year Program and is a perfect opportunity for the community to come together, celebrate the children's success and partake in some games created by each classroom. There will be carnival style game booths, made by the students of each classroom, with fun prizes to win. There will be a French Kermesse inspired meal for both adults and children available for purchase (available to order prior to event date) and lots of giggles and fun. This event allows the students an opportunity to share their creativity and accomplishments with their family and is another great way to support the school as all proceeds go to supplies for the classrooms.
Responsibilities: 10 volunteers needed to pick up food and beverages before event. Organized timeline for event, promote via emails, newsletters and flyers. Help with food orders, food prep and assembly. Help with game booth set up and take down. Help with food and drink distribution and clean up. Helping with POS as well as miscellaneous tasks.
Member Profile: Has flexibility in schedule and access to transportation that allows them to gather food and beverage items; has ability to stay after event to help clean up. Enjoys meeting new people and discussing school with other parents. Feels comfortable working with POS system and collection of money from booth transactions. Organized, creative, go getter.
Time Required: Varies depending on tasks chosen: opportunity of 1 - 6 hours.
Volunteer HERE
End of Year Program June 23, 2020
Description: This is a celebration of the end of the school year with the students performing a brief program and light refreshments followed by the Kermesse Celebration.
Responsibilities: 2-4 volunteers needed to help with food and beverages before and after the event. Organized timeline for event, promote via emails, newsletters and flyers. Help with refreshment prep and assembly. Help with slideshow and miscellaneous tasks.
Member Profile: Has ability to come prior to event and/or stay after event to help clean up. Is comfortable working with and creating presentations for slideshow.
Time Required: Varies depending on tasks chosen: opportunity of 1-4 hours.
Volunteer HERE
Teacher’s Appreciation Week May 3-7 2020
Description: ILA’s teacher are bread and butter of the school. Their love for the students shows in the daily effort they put into the curriculum and they way they interact with each child. This week is a celebration of them and all they do. Each day will provide a different event for the teacher, brunch, massage and more to show the staff how much their work is appreciated.
Responsibilities: 3-4 volunteers needed. Plan and coordinate two Staff Appreciation breakfasts and lunch to support staff and administration, including the newsletter notification, organizing and coordinating food donations or monetary donations from the ILA community, purchasing food, working w/Room Parents to precure parent volunteers for set-up and clean-up. Help brainstorm and coordinate other “appreciation events” for the week and organize, coordinate volunteers, etc.
Member Profile: Enjoys event-planning on a small scale, outgoing, organized, and creative.
Time Required: Varies depending on task chosen; Opportunity of 1-6 hours.
Volunteer HERE
Lunch Program
Description: The lunch program is much more than just getting the students fed here at ILA. We believe that children who eat together learn together. Chef Geoffroy (https://www.ilapdx.org/school-menus) is passionate in making mealtimes exciting through his creative menu and culinary skills. Not only does he create well balanced lunches, but he also spends time teaching the students about healthy eating and local ingredients he uses. He and his lunches have become quite popular amongst our students!
Responsibilities: 2 volunteers/Friday who complete an online training (~1 hour) and obtain a food handler certificate ($10, valid for 3 years) will assist with food prep, serving and clean up. First shift is meal prepping and serving from 10:30am- 12:30 (food handler certificate required). Second is needed for dishwashing from 12:00pm- 2:00pm (food handler certificate not required).
Member Profile: Someone who has an interest in food! Participating in our Lunch Volunteer Program is a wonderful opportunity to see your children at lunch time. You may even take home a few skills from a chef who has worked in a Michelin 3-starred restaurant!
Time Required: Sign up opportunities for Fridays. 1.5 - 2 hours/Friday
Volunteer HERE
Lost & Found
Description: Our lost & found area can get a bit overwhelming if not maintained!
Responsibilities: Maintain our lost & found area. Help sort and return items with names on them. Every ITC week, send out reminder emails to claim belongings, and then wash and donate all unclaimed items to charity.
Member Profile: Someone who is organized and service oriented, who is looking to volunteer but has limited flexibility in his/her schedule.
Time Required: 1-2 hours a month
Volunteer HERE
Classroom
Field Trips
Description: Each year, each class has a few field trips to take what they learned in the classroom out into the community. It is one of the ways to help foster our children into global citizens.
Responsibilities: Chaperone during the field trips.
Member Profile: Those who want to volunteer directly with their children for field trips.
Time Required: Varies by field trip.
Volunteer HERE
Classroom Help
Description: There are many things we can do to assist our amazing teachers! This could include prepping materials for projects, organizing the classroom, or hands on help with students.
Responsibilities: Task specific, under the direction of the classroom teachers.
Member Profile: Those who want to volunteer directly with their children inside the classroom.
Time Required: Varies by project.
Creative Media
Marketing
Description: Even though ILA is a non-profit school, promoting itself and its brand is vital to its continued success. Effective marketing helps ILA maintain long-lasting and ever-present relationships within the community, attracts new families to our school, and support from the community. Each year it’s vital to review our marketing strategy and materials and update materials and strategies to keep ILA fresh and current. This committee will also help coordinate tasks between the various Creative Media committees. If you have any experience or interest in advertising, writing, public relations or sales, this volunteer opportunity is for you!
Responsibilities: Volunteers form a committee that helps promote ILA’s presence in the community by working closely with Patricia Raclot at ILA as well as the PTO to update and develop new marketing strategies and material (for the school and major events). This committee will also coordinate and rely on support from the various other Creative Media committees as needed.
Member Profile: Of course we encourage those with a background in advertising, writing, public relations and/or sales to join this committee, but anyone enthusiastic about ILA can help us cultivate our relationships within the community.
Time Required: As needed basis. Volunteers can regulate their participation to fit their own schedule.
Volunteer HERE
Photo & Video
Description: Capturing photos and videos are essential for our school! First and foremost, they provide a treasured visual history for our students of their school year, especially for the school yearbook. But photos and videos also help us promote our school and events and are needed for our blog, website, social media, and other marketing endeavors.
Responsibilities: Members on this committee will coordinate with themselves, the PTO and ILA to take pictures and video of various ILA events, occasions, and trips for use by the other committees. Although very nice, you don’t need a fancy, expensive camera to take video and photos these days thanks to smartphones! Members can also gather photos from other parents!
Member Profile: Enjoys taking pictures and video and likes attending ILA events!
Time Required: Volunteers can coordinate amongst themselves to attend the various ILA events and occasions throughout the school year. You’re already going to attend plenty of ILA events this year and you’re probably going to take pictures, too - why not sign up to get volunteer hours for it?!
Blog Writers
Description: To continue to serve existing and future student families, ILA must continue to promote itself and generate interest in the school. Maintaining an active, current blog is critical to this goal. Parent representatives from very grade level are needed to identify and write stories for the school’s blog. Topics include upcoming events, recent class trips and activities, highlighting certain faculty and staff, etc.
Responsibilities: The Blog Writer’s Committee will regularly identify and write short stories (can be even 2-3 paragraphs) to be published on ILA’s blog. You won’t be alone! Members on this committee with work with the PTO, ILA staff and other committees to identify stories about which to write and photos to include.
Member Profile: Commitment and enthusiasm about spreading the word about all the good things going on at ILA! If you maintain your own Facebook or Instagram profile, you can help us maintain a fabulous blog!
Time Required: Volunteers can regulate their participation to fit their own schedules as needed.
Volunteer HERE
Yearbook
Description: Do you love photography and design? Did you enjoy helping to produce your school yearbook all those years ago when you were in school? If so, then the Yearbook Committee might be the perfect fit for you! This parent-run group works to produce the school yearbook reflecting the events and lives of our students and their school community during their school year. It will serve our students in the years to come as their personal memory book, history book, record book, and reference book for years.
Responsibilities: The Yearbook Committee is responsible for photo compilation and layout design of the school yearbook. You won’t be alone! This is a group effort, working with others, including those in other committees in order to gather content and photos.
Member Profile: Enjoy taking pictures, scrap-booking, photo-book making, photo editing, layout design, and/or working creatively with others.
Time Required: Volunteers in this group will coordinate together throughout the year to put together a timeless treasure for our students.
Volunteer HERE
Website & Social Media
Description: ILA knows that a quality up-to-date website is vital to establish and maintain its credibility, which in turn, allows ILA to better serve its students. Social media marketing on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter advances this goal by demonstrating ILA is committed to communicating both within the school and out in the community.
Responsibilities: Members of the Website and Social Media Committee will help maintain and update ILA’s website (as needed) and existing Facebook page. Members will help establish and maintain a social media presence on Instagram and Twitter. Members will work with not just the PTO and ILA to identify content but also all the other committees!
Member Profile: Commitment and enthusiasm about keeping the community updated on all the exciting things going on at ILA! If you maintain your own Facebook, Instagram or Twitter profile, you can help us maintain a vibrant social media presence!
Time Required: Volunteers can regulate their participation to fit their own schedules as needed.
Volunteer HERE
OutReach
New Family Mentoring
Description: Starting a new school can be daunting, especially in another language. ILA prides itself on its commitment to nurturing a close community for its students, families and faculty. Welcoming new families and helping them integrate into their new school is critical to both the success of the individual student but also the school!
Responsibilities: Members of this committee help welcome our new families by attending new family social events and/or new parent orientation, hosting a social gathering with their kids (who doesn’t enjoy an ice cream social?), introducing new families to other parents, and keeping contact with them throughout the year.
Member Profile: Anyone comfortable with talking and being friendly to new people!
Time Required: Needs vary but typically about 1-3 hours a month from throughout the school year.
Volunteer HERE
Open Houses/Private Tours
Description: ILA hosts open houses and schedules private tours of the school throughout the year to attract new families. Many of us attended these in the past and know how important it is to talk to a parent of a child attending the school before making the commitment to join the ILA community.
Responsibilities: Private tours of the school are on an as needed basis and typically last about 45-60 minutes. Volunteers for private tours will meet with Patricia Raclot in advance to review necessary info. Volunteers for the open houses are needed for setting up, talking to parents, and cleaning up. Volunteering for an open house is about a 2 hour commitment.
Member Profile: Those who love ILA and want others to feel the same!
Time Required: Typically about 1-2 hours as needed. Volunteers coordinate their participation to meet their needs as well as ILA’s.
Volunteer HERE
Hospitality Committee
Description: To make the various ILA events more inviting, ILA offers refreshments but needs help in setting up. This is an easy way to get your volunteer hours while providing a necessary service to the school.
Responsibilities: Members of this committee arrive before the various events to make coffee and set out tea, water, and other light refreshments. Depending on the event, volunteers may be needed to clean up after.
Member Profile: Those with two hands and an able and willing mindset.
Time Required: Typically about 1 hour before or after each event. Volunteers coordinate their participation to meet their needs as well as ILA’s.
Volunteer HERE
Event Outreach Committee
Description: ILA promotes itself locally throughout the Lake Oswego-Portland area during the year by setting up a booth at the Lake Oswego Farmers Market, Festival of the Arts, and Bastille Day. ILA sets up the booth with advertising materials but parents are the best source for promoting the school. Get all or most of your volunteer work accomplished with one event!
Responsibilities: Just sit at ILA’s booth at the various public events, tell people why you love being part of the ILA community, and answer their questions. Easy peasey! ILA maintains a booth at the Lake Oswego Farmers Market a few Saturday mornings from 8am-2pm, June - Sept, at Bastille Day all day in July in downtown Portland, and at Lake Oswego’s Festival of the Arts all day on a in June. Volunteers will meet with Patricia Raclot and Massene Mboup for informal training. Note: Signing up for this committee does NOT commit you to attend the booth for every event, only the ones you select - so don’t be afraid.
Member Profile: Those enthusiastic about ILA and don’t mind talking to strangers about the virtues and benefits of ILA.
Time Required: Hours required depends on event selected.
Volunteer HERE
Thank you for your time and consideration!