Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 28, 1995                   TAG: 9511280026
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Telephone your local school board office. Speak to the director of volunteers or the supervisor of instruction. Inquire whether the school system has a school-business partnership program. If so, share the information with your employer. If not, ask how to start one.

Call or meet with the principal, school volunteer coordinator or faculty member. Inquire about areas of greatest need.

Check with relatives or neighbors who have school-age children. Ask about annual events that require a group effort if you prefer following the lead of others. Obtain a school calendar from a local principal to learn which times of year help is especially needed.

Take note of announcements. Keep up with news concerning schools. Good sources are school board meetings, student competitions and school open houses. Attend a variety of activities to discover which ones interest you the most.

Visit your public library. For starters, read "Volunteering at School: Visibility at Its Best," the fifth chapter from Terry Frith's "Secrets Parents Should Know About Public Schools." You can learn more by scanning on-line computer networks on education, as well as magazines, videos and books.

If you belong to a community organization, figure out how you can educate others about your group's purpose. Then decide how your group might publicize its goals to teach students and teachers about responsible citizenship. Next, contact the parent-teachers group and offer to present a short program. Do your homework; prepare slides, make a video or work up a skit to get your point across.