Volunteer & Job Fair

On November 18th at Waukee High School, over 30 organizations and employers visited students in the west gym. This event was the Volunteer & Job Fair. Tables set up in the gym during lunch hours housed many options for students to get involved in the community. Mrs. Heitland, with the Career Services office, and Mrs. O’Brien, with the Silver Cord program, created and planned this event for three months to share local businesses and volunteer opportunities with students as easily as possible. This event was made to inspire students to take the lead in the community around them and help out businesses they pass by every day.

Mrs. O’ Brien commented, “The Silver Cord Program supplies these organizations with their life blood, volunteer service. Nonprofits are vital to this country along with the kindness of volunteers to step up and help others. The hope of the Silver Cord Program is that volunteerism infiltrates the hearts of students, so they continue to volunteer for a lifetime. Volunteering not only feels good, but teaches valuable lessons on taking direction/orders from leaders, working with others, and being accountable to others. Mrs. Heitland added, “In addition, working part-time as a student helps build valuable skills like responsibility, time management, and teamwork. It also provides an opportunity to give back to the community by supporting local businesses or organizations. Additionally, it connects students to real-world experiences, helping them understand the value of hard work and grow into active, contributing members of society.”

Did you miss the Job Fair? Mrs. O’Brien with the Silver Cord Program is in the school’s main office on Wednesdays, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. She is available to help answer any questions about the program or to help students navigate how to find organizations, sign up to volunteer, and submit hours within the program guidelines. Volunteer opportunities submitted by organizations that need students’ help can be found on the Silver Cord Backpack page. Interested in a part-time job? Book an appointment HERE with Mrs. Heitland in the Career Services Office for additional help connecting with businesses or filling out job applications. The Waukee Student Job Board is another great resource to find part-time employment opportunities.

Mrs. Heitland and Mrs. O’Brien want to thank the school administration, school secretary, school custodians, school physical ed teachers, and student volunteers, who earn Silver Cord hours, for making this event successful. WHS Ambassadors helped visitors into the building, registered visitors for the safety of our students, and showed them to the event, in the West Gym. Mrs. Bjustrom’s students played a vital role this year and were invaluable. Mrs. Goheen and her ProStart students did a great job preparing and representing WHS as they delivered lunch. Mrs. Heitland and Mrs. O’Brien could not have had a successful event without them all.