Volunteer

Every volunteer applicant will receive an email update about the status of their application, typically within 7-10 business days after it was submitted. Some applications may require more time to allow for the background check to process or for staff to review any issues. Applicants who have passed the background check will receive information to complete the final step for approval, including a link to schedule a 5-minute virtual appointment for identity verification.

If you do not hear back about the status after 14 business days, please email volunteer@acps.k12.va.us.

Applicants will need to join the Zoom appointment from a cell phone, laptop or tablet with a front-facing camera and microphone. They should also have their photo ID (that includes their date of birth) ready to show during the virtual appointment. Applicants typically are approved within 24 hours after successfully completing the ID verification meeting.

Participating in this appointment is the final step of the process!

Each volunteer will receive an email from Raptor when their application is approved.

Your approved volunteer status is valid with ACPS for two years. You will then be able to sign in at your school as a Volunteer until the expiration date. Please ensure to have your ID ready when signing in at a school. Volunteers may renew their status at the end of the two-year period by submitting a new application; a reminder email will be sent 30 days before the expiration date.

Do you have an hour a week to help an ACPS Grade K-2 student learn to read?

The Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC), an ACPS partner, seeks volunteer reading tutors available on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday during the school day. Tutors work with a student once or twice a week, through May 2027. No teaching experience necessary; ATC provides training, materials and support.

For more information, visit www.alexandriatutors.org or contact ATC's Alexa Allmann (aallmann@alexandriatutors.org).

Register as a Book Buddy volunteer!

Have fun helping students learn to ride a bike!

Volunteers work with teachers and the ACPS pedestrian and bike education support specialist as part of a scheduled physical education class during the school day. Help teach bike safety and basic bike riding skills to elementary school and middle school students, and you may even join them on off-campus rides!

Contact bikebuddies@acps.k12.va.us for details about volunteer needs and schedules.

Come help in our school gardens, where students engage in lessons aligned with curriculum standards while also learning to be environmental stewards.

Through collaborative activities, students explore nature, discover healthy foods and enjoy a peaceful haven that supports their well-being. The gardening volunteer opportunities are mainly at the elementary school level.

For more information and to indicate your interest in volunteering in a school garden, please contact ACPS School Gardens Specialist Melanie Wright at melanie.wright@acps.k12.va.us.

Volunteers may include parents/guardians, other family members, our partners and members of the community interested in supporting education and/or investing their time and talents to support students in Alexandria.

ACPS uses the Raptor Volunteer Management system to conduct background checks for all volunteer applications submitted to the school division. Any applicant who is a match to a convicted sex offender or who has been convicted of an offense on this list of barrier crimes will have their application denied and cannot serve as a volunteer in our schools and facilities.

A volunteer is an unsalaried person who has completed the ACPS volunteer application and screening process and has been authorized to perform volunteer services for the school division. This includes anyone providing services to or interacting with ACPS students on an ongoing basis.

Visitors can attend events at a school and may help out teachers/schools as long as they are participating in a one-time event – such as a Career Day or Science Fair – and are not alone with students or groups of students and there is ACPS staff present.

The volunteer activities available at ACPS are typically during the school day or are part of an after school program. Some activities sponsored by Parent-Teacher Associations or high school booster clubs may seek volunteers who are available at night and on weekends but their activities are managed independently by the organizations themselves.  

Please review the process listed above.

All volunteers who support schools and school-sponsored activities must complete an application and sign the ACPS Code of Conduct.

This Code of Conduct requirement also applies to volunteers who regularly help in the classroom and those who wish to attend field trips and chaperone.

Staff in our schools create and manage volunteer activities so please contact a school directly to find out about current volunteer opportunities.

Individuals who support schools with more than just a one-time activity – such as Career Day or Science Fair – must complete the Code of Conduct and the application form and become approved. This means those who volunteer on an ongoing basis, including enrichment providers.

Individuals who support at-large events or those who assist at one-time events under the supervision of school staff members are not required to complete the Code of Conduct at this time. 

Listed below are examples of the types of activities that do not require completion of the Code of Conduct:

• Parent/community members who serve as one-time guest readers or speakers in classrooms under ACPS staff supervision.
• Parents or family members who are observing or supporting a student's recognition, celebration, or party.
• Parents/guardians serving as a one-time lunch buddy or visiting to eat lunch with their children.

Acceptable forms of documents include:

• Driver's License issued by a State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Passport or Passport Card
• U.S. Permanent Resident Card
• U.S. government-issued work permits with photo and date of birth
• Government-issued photo ID card from federal, state or local subdivision that includes date of birth
• Tribal enrollment or other tribal ID that includes a photo and a date of birth
• Embassy-issued IDs that include a photo and date of birth

*Important Note: Please upload an image of the front of your photo ID document during the application process.

It is essential that chaperones complete the Code of Conduct since they are often off-site and off school grounds with groups of students other than their own children, and may be unsupervised by ACPS staff members during those trips at certain times.

Raptor Technologies is the online platform ACPS uses for the Visitor Management System as well as for volunteers, sex offender screening, and the visitor, volunteer, contractor, and staff sign-in/out process.

Individuals wishing to volunteer with an individual school or multiple schools are able to complete their application online in English or Spanish by accessing the Raptor Technology systems links dedicated to the school division.

The volunteer process usually takes about 7-10 business days but often experiences delays, particularly at the start of the school year where there is a surge of applications

Filling out the online volunteer application should take approximately five (5) minutes.

Yes, if you have also completed the ID verification meeting and have been approved, but please remember to review the handbook to understand all guidelines.

ACPS Volunteer Handbook – English (PDF)

ACPS Volunteer Handbook – Spanish (PDF)

ACPS Volunteer Handbook – Arabic (PDF)

ACPS Volunteer Handbook – Amharic (PDF)

To best support school staff and students, volunteers are expected to follow these procedures each time they volunteer:

• Volunteers must sign in and sign out of the building using the Visitor Management System (VMS).
• Volunteers must wear the VMS-produced volunteer identification name tag at all times while on school property. ACPS does not use volunteer badges; new name tags are issued each time you sign in.
• Volunteers may not access confidential student or personnel records – nor share information they may hear about students and personnel – and should respect the confidentiality of students.
• Volunteers working with students must be within view of other ACPS staff members and avoid unsupervised, one-on-one student contact.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Virginia Code §51.5-44 and Alexandria School Board policy, an official service animal may accompany someone serving as a volunteer at one of our schools, provided all ACPS and school requirements have been met ahead of time.

Please review the ACPS Service Animal Entry Guide for Volunteers and follow the steps to obtain advance permission before the activity. No service animal may enter or remain on school property until approval is granted.

Please contact the school Family Liaison or the school you wish to volunteer directly.

For concerns not addressed at the school level, please contact volunteer@acps.k12.va.us.