Mission
Volunteers play an important role in supporting the work and mission of OSD. They assist with academic programs, recreation, fundraising, campus activities, and program support. Volunteers are recruited, trained, and supervised by the administration.
All potential volunteers must fill out the volunteer application and criminal history check. This must be done before the person can volunteer on campus. Once the criminal check is verified as clear, the search for placement of the volunteer in one of the specified departments begins. Volunteers working with students (tutoring, academic assistance, etc.) are required to have proficient ASL skills.
Application Deadlines
For volunteer hours within the academic/dorm departments, applications must be submitted by the last day of March in order to volunteer within the current school year. Any applications received on or after April 1st will be processed for consideration for the following school year.
For volunteer hours with the Nightmare Factory, applications must be received by the second Friday in September. Any applications submitted after the cutoff will not be processed.
Volunteer Guidelines
Thank you for sharing your time with our staff and students by coming to volunteer at Oregon School for the Deaf! Any time that you donate to OSD is deeply appreciated.
Please keep the following guidelines in mind as you serve our school:
All adults that serve our students are mandatory reporters. If you are alerted to any child abuse of our students, you are directed to call DHS and relay the information. Let the Principal or Director of Instruction know what occurred. We are located on state property and volunteers must follow the same guidelines. 1-855-503-SAFE (7233)
Confidentiality of students is very important. You are not to discuss students with staff members, especially in front of other students. Chatting with teacher aides is also distracting when they are working. If you have a concern, please communicate, in private with your primary contact (teacher / staff member) or request to meet with one of the school counselors or principals. We abide by the FERPA and HIPAA laws and you need to as well.
Our school is a signing environment. Over half our faculty are Deaf adults, and of course all of our student body is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. We use ASL for conversations to ensure visual access for everyone. If you are a beginning signer, please put your best foot forward and try to be as clear as possible to diminish frustration or misunderstanding. Written English also works with the adults if you have a specific question in mind and do not yet have proficient ASL. We encourage you to practice using ASL any chance you get!
Follow the parameters set by the teacher or staff member “sponsoring” you. Sometimes students do better when parents are not within visual proximity, and other times it’s very helpful when parents are on hand. Again, use the teacher or staff member as your guide to what works best in the particular situation.
When on campus during mealtimes, you are welcome to join our students in the cafeteria; please contact Sharon Thompson, our school cashier in advance of the mealtime. Our students love it when volunteers join in for meals.
Wear clean and neat clothing when serving our students - our children look to the adults to set the example of what is appropriate behavior to follow.
Keep your appointments - students tend to look forward and “count” on a volunteer when they said they will come. Alert your teacher or staff member to your absence when unavoidable.
Be sure to fill out your application annually.
Thanks again for sharing your time with us and making a difference in the lives of our students!