Savannah Standard

Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools has rebranded its volunteer program, now called VISTA, which stands for Volunteers In Schools Targeting Achievement. This change aims to revitalize the program and place emphasis on the role of volunteers.

Dr. Ann Levett, Superintendent, stated, “We’ve had thousands of volunteers serve our students over the years, and we are grateful for all of them! When the pandemic hit, those volunteers were prevented from coming into our schools and it’s been challenging to regain the momentum. However, we are engaging volunteers full scale now. The time is right to enhance our brand and place a greater focus on the most important part of the program – the ‘volunteer’!”

Volunteers contribute significantly to school life by assisting in classrooms, sports fields, front offices, and school grounds. Bernadette Ball-Oliver, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at SCCPSS said, “One thing that is really top of mind for teachers right now is the value of our volunteers in reading to our students. Our Literacy Task Force has recommended 90 minutes of reading per day for students in grades K – 6. Having volunteers available to assist students in reading will continue to be a key success indicator.”

The benefits of volunteering extend beyond helping schools; it also positively impacts community well-being and offers mental and physical health benefits for volunteers themselves.

Those interested in volunteering with Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools can register online through their volunteer portal by clicking on the VISTA button at sccpss.com. After completing an application and passing a background check, approved volunteers can access various opportunities across district schools.