Stop me before I get involved with S's college...

Parent Cafe
21

<p>OK, senior outreach, what do you like about delivering the holiday goodies? Before you posted that second message, I was going to ask you what you found most rewarding about your volunteer work in your school district. Did you love being in the loop and in the know, lots of face-to-face interaction with the various administrators and PTO people, and the satisfaction of nurturing a project along and seeing your programs come to life? (just a guess) Feeling needed, being the go-to person? Feeling like you were making a difference in your community? Something was drawing you in. </p>

<p>I was wondering if volunteer work at your son's college could offer you what you love. Just as an example, if the college is far away, much of your work would be done via phone and email. That's a lot different than greeting people as you make the rounds between the high school and the district office and the printer. If you like to connect with people, then think twice about a pursuit that involves a lot of solitary work like emailing. </p>

<p>If you thrive on personal interaction, and you like to be out in the community, then working with seniors may be right up your alley. With your initiative and effectiveness and experience in making things happen in the school district, you are likely to become highly engaged in whatever you pursue next. Wherever you land, you are going to look around and see how to make things happen, how to improve things, how to bring people together, etc.</p>

<p>Just an idea, thinking about combining your interest in senior outreach with your school volunteering experience: in my area there is something called Senior Prom, in which student volunteers attend a slightly dressy dance with a senior. There is dancing to big-band music and it's just a lovely event. </p>

<p>Another idea, just taking a shot here, would be involvement in a day care facility that combines senior programs with preschool programs. The calendar-based structure and programming might appeal to you, plus it's high on the interaction scale. The right person with lots of energy could make amazing things happen there.</p>

22

<p>I've always been involved too, but with S going about as far away as he can without leaving the continental US, it will be hard to show up and help out in the library or to attend regular parent meetings to plan a fundraiser :) !</p>

<p>But I did get a mailing with a booklet called the Parent Connection or something like that, listing names and contact info for parents all over the world, who volunteered to act as resources for parents of new freshman. As very few from our state actually go there, I was happy to see two people who live in my town. I told the adcomm with whom we've been in regular touch, who happens to have responsibility for that list too, that I would be happy to be involved. I can't imagine that my S would object in the slightest.</p>

<p>But as for regular stuff, no. Not just to give him some space, thought I agree with that, but simply not practical given the distance. I actually think his school is large enough that he'd see me not at all, and the window into the school and the advocacy would indeed be limited. Stuff done by phone and email would be fine, IMHO. And perhaps tailoring it to helping incoming freshman and their parents is the way to go.</p>