What is The Columbia County Public Schools Foundation, Inc.?

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501 (c)3 not for profit organization with the sole purpose of raising funds to support and enhance Columbia County School System programs. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors with oversight from the Superintendent and the Columbia County School Board.

Email for further information: swisherd@columbiak12.com

By Dianna Swisher

The mission of the Community ABCs (Assistants in Basics Curriculum) program is to enhance the quality of instructional services provided for our students through the use of parents, school volunteers and business partners. The heart of the Columbia County Public School System's strength rests in the human resources available within our North Florida community.

Our goals are to:

-Provide an opportunity for interested community members to become directly involved with Columbia County Schools

-Strengthen school/community relations through direct volunteer participation

-Enrich student's curriculum, broadening their awareness and experiences

-Provide individualized education assistance to students

-Reinforce lessons taught in schools

-Assist school personnel with non-instructional tasks and duties

-Enhance all aspects of the educational process.

How do parents, family or community members become volunteers in the Columbia County School System?

1. Complete online Raptor Application.

2. Be School Board approved. (If you are a Columbia County School Board employee, you must complete an application for record keeping purposes, but you do not need to be Board approved since you have already been approved and fingerprinted as an employee.)

NOTE: Chaperoning field trips is a form of volunteering, therefore if you plan to chaperone a field trip, you must have a completed Board approved volunteer application on file at your children's school.

3. Participate in a volunteer orientation. This may be done in a large group setting or one-on-one with the school-based volunteer coordinator or with me in my office.

4. Criminal history checks will be administered on all applicants.

Types of volunteers

Classroom Volunteers

These volunteers assist in the classroom with tasks that the teacher provides.  This could include working with students or helping with special projects.

Peer and Cross-Age Tutors

Students help other students in academic areas and also serve as role models and listeners for those who need a friend.

Community Resource Speakers

Speakers from the community share with students, in all grades, their travel experiences, career expertise, hobbies and other areas related to the curriculum.