Become a community volunteer inside a POPS club throughout the school year (35 to 40 weeks) or a speaker who visits clubs periodically.

  • Community volunteers participate in a 90-minute training, undergo a background check, and take a Tuberculosis test to work with youth. In some instances, school administration officials must approve volunteers after taking school-based online training.
  • Volunteers pick up and serve food, provide lessons from the POPS curriculum and are participating members of the club.
  • Volunteers know how to be good listeners and help to ensure the club remains a productive, welcoming, safe environment for new and returning students.
  • Lead volunteers at each club respond to a brief survey every other week and help distribute and collect student surveys, student artwork, writing, and parent- or guardian-signed permission forms required for each student wishing to publish in the annual POPS anthology for the use of any photographs of students.
  • Covid-19: Certain schools require proof of vaccination or weekly PCR testing to attend in-person meetings. Certain clubs are currently operating outside to slow the spread of COVID-19.
  • POPS the Cub has created a robust curriculum—exercises for self-expression, mindfulness, and community engagement—each lesson designed to be conducted during a school’s lunch period. This curriculum is not prescribed or assigned. Lessons topics are independent of one another, and volunteers, sponsors, and students select when and how to use them. Club meeting discussions frequently focus on events of the day.
  • POPS publishes a nationally distributed anthology of students’ writing and artwork each year. Each club has a collection of previously published anthologies on hand for readings and sharing, and the poetry, artwork, and stories in these books often prompt discussion.

Those unable to volunteer weekly can also serve as Guest Speakers, support POPS events, serve on the POPS Advisory Council or Board of Directors, or offer skills or expertise to benefit the organization and students. If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please reach out to our Program team at pops@thepathfindernetwork.org.