I'm a teen and I want to volunteer!

Welcome! You're in the right place. The Moorpark City Library provides many opportunities for teens ages 12-19 who are interested in volunteering.

I need to complete volunteer service hours for school. Can I earn those here?

Absolutely. The opportunities available here all count for school credit and can be included on your college applications or resume. However, volunteering is a privilege and the work here does not count as community service for parole or for school punishments. 

How do I start?

Your first step is to complete a Volunteer Application form (with a parent or guardian's signature if you are under 18) and attend a Volunteer Training session. Training sessions are held twice a month. At them, you will meet the Teen Librarian, learn about all of the available volunteer opportunities and decide what kind of work you want to do, go over the volunteer Code of Conduct and Dress Code, turn in your forms, ask any questions you have, and schedule your first volunteer work.

Plus, attending a Volunteer Training session counts as one hour of volunteer credit!

Upcoming Volunteer Training days:

Saturdays at 2:00 PM
December 5

Wednesdays at 4:00 PM
November 18
December 16

But I need volunteer hours RIGHT NOW!

You can submit a book review to the Library website for half an hour of credit per well-written and approved review (see below). For everything else, you need to attend a Volunteer Training session first.

So, what kind of volunteer work can I do?

Teen Advisory Group The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is for teen volunteers who want to have a hand in shaping the library. Members of TAG do work behind the scenes, contribute their own ideas to larger library events, and can create their own library programs by working with the Teen Services Librarian. TAG members develop leadership skills, gain valuable experience for job and college applications, meet new friends, and make a difference in their community.  Age: Grades 7-12 Requirements: Complete a general Volunteer Application, attend Volunteer Training, and complete a TAG Application When: After hours, 5 - 6:30 PM, on the second Friday of every month
	Attending Teen Programs Most teen programs listed on the Library calendar have optional "extra credit" activities that can turn regular attendance into volunteer credit. Helping to set up, clean up, prepare supplies, or assist younger children at events Donating items made at the Knot & Hook crochet club or Crafty Teens to the hospital or senior homes Being a Game Master for D&D or Pathfinder Society Other work depending on the program Age: Grades 6-12 Requirements: Complete a Volunteer Application, attend Volunteer Training, and ask the Teen Librarian about extra credit opportunities for the program you are interested in. Time: Check our website, calendar, and social media for events that interest you!
Golden Grades Tutoring Exemplary teens in high school with a GPA of at least 3.0 may apply to be a Golden Grades Tutor. Golden Grades Tutors assist K - 8th grade students with their homework and reading skills and may assist peers with study groups. In order to ensure that tutors are available, Golden Grades Tutors must commit to tutoring weekly for the full semester and follow the attendance policy outlined in the Golden Grades Volunteer Application. Age: Must be a current high school student with at least a 3.0 GPA Requirements: Complete a Volunteer Application, a Golden Grades Volunteer Application, provide proof of GPA to the Teen Librarian, and attend Volunteer Training. Time: Tuesdays OR Thursdays, 4 - 6 PM. Golden Grades Tutoring generally follows the Moorpark Unified School District Calendar. Tutoring sessions will not take place on Moorpark USD holidays or summer break.
	Shelving and Organizing These volunteers help keep the Library tidy with tasks like scanning the shelves for out-of-place books, creating book displays, cleaning the children’s toys, or preparing materials for upcoming craft projects. Age: Grades 7-12 Requirements: Complete a Volunteer Application, attend Volunteer Training, and pass the Shelf Reading Quiz during the Volunteer Training. Time: Email the teen librarian to arrange a time to volunteer.
Event Volunteers The City of Moorpark holds special events throughout the year, both at the library and offsite. The content of these events can be very different, and we may call on volunteers for tasks like walking in the city parade, creating origami decorations, helping small children with crafts, managing an outdoor holiday booth, and more. Interested teens can join the pool of volunteers that the Library calls on for these events. When one occurs, you will receive an email describing the event and asking for volunteers. You must reply to this email to reserve your volunteer spot, which fill up on a first-come, first-served basis. Age: Grades 6-12 Requirements: Complete a Volunteer Application, attend Volunteer Training, and RSVP for each event. Time: Event volunteers will be notified of event details via email.

Teen Book Recommendations

Teens in grades 6-12 can write recommendations to help others find great books to read. Recommendations are anonymous and will be posted on our website. Each well-written book recommendation that is approved and posted by the Librarian is worth half an hour of volunteer service.

Age: Grades 6-12
Requirements:
You must have read the book you recommended within the past 6 months.
The book must have a target audience of 6th grade or above (no baby books).
Your recommendation must be written with clear grammar and spelling.
Your recommendation must be approved by the Library staff to receive service credit.

Click here to fill out a recommendation form. Recommendations may be edited for clarity.

Other Opportunities

Would you like to help the Library in other ways? Do you have a unique skill you want to offer? The Library is often looking for volunteers to help with miscellaneous upcoming programs. Once you have completed a Volunteer Application, email your Teen Librarian to volunteer your unique skills. Past examples include:

• Being a Game Master for tabletop roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons
• Helping to teach beginner chess
• Running a Rubik's Cube Club
• Creating hand-drawn flyers to hand out around school
• Teaching basic American Sign Language to children
• Designing and running an escape room at the Library

Check back for updates on additional volunteer opportunities! For questions or more information, contact Emma Schaefer, Teen Librarian, at 805-517-6380 or eschaefer@moorparklibrary.org.

Golden Grades Tutoring

Teen volunteers in high school with exemplary grades provide free tutoring at the Library during the school year. Tutoring is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tutors are guaranteed to be able to help with K-8th grade subjects. Help with 9th-12th grade subjects may be available, but will vary depending on the tutors working each day and their familiarity with the subject material.

Golden Grades tutoring is generally offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 - 6 PM during the school year. Please check the Library's currently monthly calendar for the most up-to-date schedule.

Use your Library Card to access online help

	Brainfuse - HelpNow! Brainfuse offers online tutoring, skill-building, and test preparation for students of all ages and levels. Resource for citizenship & GED preparation, resumes, and job searches. Writing help is available in the online writing lab. Assistance is available in core K-12 subjects in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
	TeachingBooks TeachingBooks offers lesson plans, discussion questions, and meet-the-author readings. Great for educators and learners who want a more in-depth understanding of popular literature.

California K-12 Digital Resources

California offers access to online educational content from Britannica, ProQuest, and TeachingBooks for every public K-12 student in the state. These resources provide students with a massive amount of digital information: magazines, books, scientific research, newspaper articles, photos, videos, and more. By laptop, tablet, or phone — at school, at the library, or at home — students can research, analyze and use information and media in a self-directed and student-focused way, developing both digital literacy and critical thinking skills.

These three databases are provided for all California students from the California State Library.

Encyclopaedia Britannica (PreK-12)

A comprehensive interactive resource for research and learning for grades K-12. Includes correlations to California Content Standards and other valuable teacher resources. Post links directly to each elementary, middle, or high school level.

Need help from Britannica? See our support page. (800) 621-3900 x 7160 | edsupport@eb.com

Book Connections

Personalize and enjoy digital connections to books for kids and teens.

Need help from Book Connections? See our support page. 800-596-0710 | accounts@bookconnections.org

  ProQuest (Grades 3-12)

    

• CultureGrams: Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces worldwide. (Grades 3-12) CultureGrams Off-Campus Access
• SIRS Discoverer: A general reference database providing safe, reliable, curriculum-aligned content and features for use by students and educators. (Grades 3-9) SIRS Discoverer Off-Campus Access
• SIRS Issues Researcher: Pros and cons on 360+ (and growing) complex social issues with relevant, credible information that tells the whole story on the major questions of the day.  (Grades 6+) SIRS Issues Researcher Off-Campus Access
• eLibrary: Guided Research edition delivers one of the largest general reference collections of periodical and digital media content, including more than 11,000 Research Topics (Grades 6+) eLibrary Guided Research Off-Campus Access
• eLibrary: Database Edition General reference aggregation of periodical and digital media content with editorial guidance for novice researchers. (Grades 6+) eLibrary Database Edition Off-Campus Access
• ProQuest Research Companion: A self-guided product that supports information literacy, writing, and research skills instruction.(Grades 8+) Research Companion Off-Campus Access
• Schools & Educators Complete: eBook subscription database of over 13,000 titles that supports English Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies, Health, Physical Education, Information Literacy, and Technology. (Grades 9+, possibly some content for Middle School, also includes professional development content for faculty)

Need help from ProQuest? See our support page. 800-521-0600 | customerservice@proquest.com

Reading Resources: AR and Reading Counts

Looking for information about AR, Reading Counts, or Lexile points?

If you know the title or the author of a book, you can look up AR or Reading Counts points here:

• AR Book Finder
• Reading Counts

Lexile reading levels can be found using the Reading Counts website.

Teen Book Recommendations

Teens in grades 6-12 can write recommendations to help others find great books to read. Recommendations are anonymous and will be posted on our website. Each well-written book recommendation that is approved and posted by the Librarian is worth half an hour of volunteer service.

Age: Grades 6-12
Requirements:
You must have read the book you recommended within the past 6 months.
The book must have a target audience of 6th grade or above (no baby books).
Your recommendation must be written with clear grammar and spelling.
Your recommendation must be approved by the Library staff to receive service credit.

Click here to fill out a recommendation form. Recommendations may be edited for clarity.

SEE THE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS HERE!