Back to School: Helping Out at Your Child's School

Unsure about how to support educators at your child’s school during the upcoming year? We have ideas

Champaign-Urbana area schools have numerous ways you can get involved — here’s how to start

We love our children’s schools. Teachers are making a difference in each child’s life, one year at a time, and everyone from bus drivers to lunchroom supervisors to school principals and admin teams are working hard to provide a safe and educational place for our community’s children day in and day out, August through May (but really, 365 days a year).

If you have ever wondered how you might help out at school, we have a list of ideas as we head into a new school year.

Check out our entire Back to School series, presented by Christie Clinic:

Thank you to Christie Clinic for presenting our 2025 Champaign-Urbana Area Back to School series

Back-to-school jitters are normal, especially for little ones starting something new. Talk with a provider about managing anxiety by scheduling a back-to-school appointment at christieclinic.com. or on their patient portal.

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Tips before reading on

We address these ideas mostly to parents who are looking to help out at their child’s school. But perhaps the best option for you is to help out at another school or location within your school district, rather than your own child’s school. Maybe you are particularly gifted with middle and high school students, but your oldest child is only in kindergarten. Or maybe your child is at that awkward age where your mere existence is embarrassing, so everyone in the family would be happier if you don’t cross paths in the school building. We encourage you to think outside the box and help in another school if your own child’s school/grade level isn’t the best possible fit for you.

Speaking of time, some of these opportunities will require just a couple hours a year and others are far more of a commitment. Don’t feel pressured to commit to something larger than you think your schedule can handle.

Don’t have a child in school, but want to get involved? This list is for you too. Anyone who wants to help out at school can get involved, with the proper background checks and criteria met for that particular opportunity.

Speaking of background checks, expect that you will need to do something along these lines for many of the opportunities listed here. Even if you plan to just chaperone one end-of-year field trip, you will probably have to plan ahead and get a check done. Realize that this is for the safety of all students involved and it is worth the time and energy to do it.

Ways to get involved at your child’s school in Champaign-Urbana

A (not complete) list of ideas on how to get involved this school year:

PTA/PTO involvement

Most schools (elementary, at least) have a PTA (parent-teacher association) or PTO (parent-teacher organization). Activities will vary from school to school, but you can expect to help with special events, fundraisers, initiatives that support teachers throughout the school, like meals during parent teacher conferences or welcome back bags in the fall, and many more things.

Meetings happen regularly and these organizations always welcome more parent involvement. You do not need to hold a position on the board of the PTA or PTO to attend most meetings. Check with your school if you don’t know how to reach your organization.

Volunteer in the classroom

These opportunities vary greatly by school and even by classroom, but we know that many teachers would appreciate hands-on help. Sometimes you can take materials home to cut/staple/laminate for a teacher and return them ready-to-use, and that’s a great option for parents who are not available during the school day.

There are also opportunities to help in the classroom, like reading one-on-one with students or in small groups, practicing math facts, etc. You’ll probably need a background check through school for these roles, but we know that the school will appreciate you going to that effort to help out. Teachers may ask you to make copies and sort packets, too.

Don’t forget about your specials/encore teachers. A music, art, or PE teacher might really appreciate the offer of some help. Sometimes you can even help out in the school office.

Connect with the parent liaison or mentor coordinator in your child’s school. Champaign schools offer opportunities for volunteers to socialize and encourage students during their lunch period. The time commitment is short and can be rewarding for both parties.

Chaperone a field trip

Speaking with an elementary teacher, we learned that some years teachers are overwhelmed with offers to chaperone field trips but other years, hardly anyone volunteers. Don’t assume the other parents have it covered; take a moment to check in when teachers ask for trip volunteers. Going on a field trip with the optimal number of chaperones makes a world of difference to a teacher on field trip day. Many schools require background checks even for chaperones, so make sure to check with your child’s school district to determine if you should complete this important step before the first event comes around.

Donate supplies

Have extra school supplies lying around the house? Check with your child’s teachers, specialists, or therapy staff to determine if they might need the materials for projects. Specialists and other staff who don’t have a class list are always looking for extra Kleenex, Clorox wipes, crayons, pencils, and more.

Many schools collect coats, backpacks, and even clothing for students. Champaign Unit 4 schools collect dress clothing for high school students looking for employment opportunities. School social workers should be able to direct you to the appropriate channel for donation, or might gladly accept help in organizing a donation drive.

C-U One-to-One

C-U One-to-One is the school-based mentoring program of the Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana District 116 systems. Mentors commit to meeting with their mentee for one hour, one day a week during the school year. Many mentors and mentees continue meeting from year to year, but this is not required to continue on indefinitely. Mentors must complete an application, participate in an interview, complete a fingerprint-based background check and attend training before being matched with a mentee.

The more mentors in C-U One-to-One, the more students in Champaign and Urbana that will benefit from a mentor/mentee relationship.

iRead iCount

This Champaign County Chamber of Commerce initiative pairs volunteers to help students who need extra assistance with their math and reading competencies. Apply directly through Champaign Unit 4 or Urbana District 116. Choose your school and time once you’ve applied and been trained.

Feeding Our Kids

There are a number of ways you can volunteer with Feeding Our Kids, but if you are specifically looking to get involved through school, you can be a delivery driver to area schools. Feeding Our Kids provides nourishing food to food-insecure children in our community during weekends and vacations throughout the school year.

Become a substitute teacher (or bus driver, lunchroom monitor or paraprofessional)

If you are looking for paid work — while still helping out the school by filling important roles — you may wish to peruse available substitute opportunities. Licensure varies for each role. Substitute teachers and paraprofessionals can obtain licenses through the Regional Office of Education (click on licensure), and bus drivers will need to have the appropriate permit on their driver’s license to drive a bus. You can take classes through the Regional Office of Education.

Find a comprehensive listing of available jobs on the ROE website for all of our local school districts (Champaign, Urbana and also surrounding communities like Mahomet, Paxton, Rantoul, Unity and more). Some school districts may be offering hiring bonuses for particular positions.