Volunteer

Our schools and community are built on the partnership and involvement of our amazing parents. We are stronger together. Whether you're working side-by-side with your child, leading a field trip, or volunteering in our offices, we value your help and know your child will appreciate having you there.

Sign Up to Volunteer
Classroom hallway and doors with student and parent icon.

Interested in Volunteering?

Interested in volunteering at Winterville Charter Academy? Sign up through the Parent Portal or contact the school at 252-689-6153 to get started. Because paperwork and background checks may take time to process, we encourage families to sign up early.

Keeping Students Safe

Volunteer Requirements

Our highest priority is keeping our schools safe, so we’ve established a variety of security levels based on available volunteer opportunities. Please review the levels below to understand the security requirements for each opportunity and the necessary corresponding forms that must be completed before serving.

Hand drawn number 1 in a circle.

Level One

A school employee will always supervise the volunteer. Volunteers can work in classrooms and the office, but cannot handle money.

Requirements:

  • Volunteer Authorization
  • Release Form
  • State-Issued Photo ID
Hand drawn number 2.

Level Two

A school employee or Level 3 volunteer provides limited supervision to the volunteer. Field trip chaperones, drivers, recess monitors are Level 2.

Requirements:

  • Volunteer Authorization Release Form
  • State-Issued Photo ID
  • Background Check
Hand drawn number 3.

Level Three

Volunteers can work with students with no direct supervision. They can chaperone overnight field trips and tutor students.

Requirements:

  • Volunteer Authorization Form
  • State-Issued Photo ID
  • Background Check

Have Questions?

Volunteer FAQs

For additional information, please see the Visitor and Volunteer Guidelines in the Parent and Student Handbook.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

Parents and legal guardians of a student should fill out the Volunteer Form located in their Parent Portal account. All others wishing to volunteer can complete the community volunteer form located at the bottom of the school’s website under Family Resources > Volunteer >, then select the Sign Up to Volunteer button. For any additional questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact the school's front office. 

Once you have completed a Volunteer Form, the school's office staff will submit your information to NHA's Employee Experience team to complete a background check.

Each parent should have their own Parent Portal account with a unique email address. Each parent will need to fill out their own Volunteer Form inside their Parent Portal.

The full process for both parents and community volunteers can take up to three weeks to complete. If it has been more than three weeks and you have not heard about your volunteer status, we recommend reaching out to the school.

Our students’ safety is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, it is our policy to require volunteers to complete an application and go through a background check before they volunteer in the school. 

Supervised
All individuals who are in the school building (e.g., the office or classrooms) must be put through the Raptor Background Check System in the school's front office. You will be required to provide a government-issued ID so that office staff can complete this check.

Limited Supervision
All volunteers (e.g., parent organization members, field trip chaperones, school event participants) will need to have a completed Volunteer Form submitted through the school's website or Parent Portal. Once it is completed, the school will submit a request on the volunteer's behalf, which NHA's Employee Experience team will approve or deny based on background check results.

Unsupervised
Unsupervised volunteers may include activities such as tutoring students or serving as a chaperone on an overnight field trip. You will be required to complete a Volunteer Form through the school's website or Parent Portal. You will also be required to provide a government-issued ID to complete a Raptor Background Check in the school's front office. In addition to the initial background check, all volunteers in Wisconsin, Colorado, Louisiana, Georgia, and Ohio will also need to complete a fingerprinting appointment using the instructions and payment codes that are sent to them. This appointment should be completed at least two weeks before the field trip to allow ample time for results.

Once a volunteer has completed the Volunteer Form, the school will submit a request on the volunteer's behalf, which NHA's Employee Experience team will approve or deny based on background check results.

Unsupervised volunteers in Indiana, Michigan, New York, and North Carolina are not required to complete fingerprinting or any other additional background check.

Any volunteer driving students in addition to their own child or children is required to be at least 21 years old.

Yes, a volunteer may drive on a field trip as long as they can present a valid driver’s license and a copy of valid auto insurance. It is also recommended that you present this documentation before each field trip to ensure that the information is current and correct. 

It is recommended that you present documentation each time before driving students to ensure that the documentation is current. To be eligible to drive, you must present a valid government-issued driver's license and insurance card.

Current NHA employees who have already been cleared through a background check as a condition of employment are not required to submit an additional background check. If NHA employees are driving for a field trip, a copy of the driver's license and insurance will be collected by the school office before the trip. Former employees are required to submit a new Volunteer Form before volunteering.

Student teachers from a college of education are not required to complete an additional background check through NHA but must complete the requirements of their program. This same rule applies to interns enrolled in a social work program.

Once you have completed an application through either your Parent Portal or through the school's website, you should not need to complete a second application. If you are attending a field trip that requires a higher volunteer clearance, the school will request a new background check on your behalf. A new background check may be completed annually, based on the school's identified process.