Volunteer
Volunteer as a Sports Coach
Do you like to help create a positive learning environment where the children learn sportsmanship, fundamental skills, teamwork, and responsibility? Then BPRW could use you!
Burlington’s youth programs emphasize skill development, fair play, teamwork, cooperation, sportsmanship, responsibility, and fun. Each participant should be given equal playing time in every game, and play different positions on the field/court. Questions? Contact: Jen Cotton, Athletic Program Supervisor
To apply to be a youth sports coach, please follow the links below, which will take you to CoachSpan, our volunteer coach onboarding platform and you can complete the online application.
Qualifications:
- Have a desire to work with children, enthusiasm, patience, organization, dependability, and be responsible.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be available at the times when games and practices are held.
Requirements:
- Must have background check completed annually.
- Regular attendance at scheduled practices and games.
- Must have attended the coaches meeting or have reviewed the guidelines and rules with the Athletic Program Supervisor prior to the first practice.
- Communicate program information to parents and players.
- Complete online Concussion Training course on CoachSpan (completion certificate good for two years)
Responsibilities:
- Teach fundamental skills to the children while emphasizing skill development, fair play, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fun.
- Be on time at all practices and games or find a replacement coach that is acceptable by the Department’s standards (i.e. background check has been processed and approved.)
- Provide a safe and fun environment for practice and games.
- Put the well being of players ahead of your desire to win.
- Learn all league rules and abide by the Code of Conduct.
- Assume responsibility of the equipment that has been provided to you.
- Provide proper first aid when injuries occur.
- Report any problems with fields, equipment, player behavior, parent behavior, or officials to Athletic Program Supervisor.
- Communicate with Athletic Program Supervisor on all matters of policy.
- Be accessible by phone and/or email.
- Teach skills in developmentally appropriate stages, using the alpha youth sports curriculum as a guide.
Become a Trail Steward
Want to spend some quality time outside? Come join us on the trails by volunteering to be a Trail Steward with the Burlington Wildways partnership. There are many spots around the city where you can volunteer. What a great way to spend time outside in your favorite spot. What is required? A half hour online training and an in person orientation!
BPRW Spring Summer Volunteer Opportunities
Now more than ever volunteer support for our parks is needed. Please review the opportunities listed below and if interested in getting involved please contact Dan Cahill at dcahill@burlingtonvt.gov. In the subject line, please list the volunteer role you are interested in.
Pollinator and Permaculture Planting Support –
In a variety of Park and Community Garden settings the City and Community Volunteers have been supporting food security and pollinator habitat through the planting of native plants. These landscape areas need special attention, mostly with weeding.
Locations: Ethan Allen Homestead, 311 North Ave, Ethan Allen Park (Pinnacle), Urban Reserve, Tommy Thompson Community Garden and the Intervale, and more!
Greenway Corridor Maintenance –
Similar to our permaculture and pollinator plantings, the City has a variety of landscape areas along the Burlington Greenway Bike Path that need attention and support. This includes mulching, trimming, and weeding.
Graffiti –
If you are interested in helping combat vandalism in the form of tagging and graffiti, we can work with you to identify a customized focus area to help us with.
Clean Parks Initiative –
We are looking for park stewards willing to help with the doing routine trash pick up in park areas. We can provide bags and will help direct where trash can be left.
Our friends at Waste Free Earth and Planet people are organizing community clean up events. They’re doing short daily pick ups every weekday! Check the calendar for times and locations and drop by lend a hand. They might also be organizing a larger event near you!
Dog Park Volunteers –
The Starr Farm Dog Park is in search of volunteers to support the stewardship of the dog park. Duties include locking and unlocking the park, helping monitor use and support safe access, performing clean up and basic green up tasks.
Restoration and Natural Area Stewards –
The City has a variety of environmental restoration efforts happening in various natural areas. This includes invasive species management and regenerative tree and understory plantings. We are looking for stewards to support these efforts which includes, monitoring tree planting health, watering regenerative plantings, removing invasives and reporting on general observations. Volunteering for this work can be tailored to specific interest and geography. It won’t necessarily include all of the tasks listed above. Example: if you are most interested in invasive removal we can find a role specific to just that task.
Ethan Allen Tower Keypers –
Help keep the Ethan Allen Tower available to the community through signing up for an opening or closing shift. Volunteers interested in this role will need to go through a brief orientation
Elmwood, Greenmount and Lakeview Cemeteries
All three cemeteries have opportunities for stone cleaning. The process can be as simple as using water and a brush. Elmwood and Greenmount are in need of support for trimming and mowing. Volunteers would need to provide their own equipment. Contact: Jeff Shed
Volunteer at the Champlain Senior Center
Share your skills and knowledge teaching older adults!
Contact Sarah Carter
*Chair Yoga
*Sketching
*Crafts-General art and crafts
*Baking
*Computer skills
*Dance-Salsa/swing/
*Nature-Crafts/short walks
*History of Burlington
*Woodworking
*Weaving
*Basket making
Volunteer with CEDO
Work with CEDO to help keep our city clean and green! With events like the Spring Move Out Project and Green Up Day you and your friends could help maintain our city!
Click here for more information
Volunteer at Burlington City Arts
Do you have a creative mind and want to help others be creative? Help BCA with their many programs like the Art From The Heart initative that aims to bring art to all of those involved in hospitals. This includes, patients, staff and family. BCA also has many other programs that help the community throught creativity!
Click here for more information
Volunteer with Fletcher Free Library
Are books your forte? If so, volunteering for Fletcher Free Library may be the opportunity for you! In paticular, Fletcher Free Library is looking for volunteers to help with programining and outreach. Help keep the library a great space for anyone who wants to use it!
Click here for more information
