CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – As students and teachers returned to classroom for the start of another school year Wednesday, Claudette Dalton, a now-retired anesthesiologist at UVA, was also getting ready to go back to school. Dalton volunteers as a FISH, a Friend in School Helping, through the Jefferson Area Board for Aging.

Since 2004, JABA’s FISH mentors have assisted students and teachers by providing an extra resource across all grade levels.

“We match adult mentors who have been trained and screened with public school students who may need some extra assistance in the classroom,” said Winter Broadhurst, Assistant Director of Communications and Community Engagement with JABA, “maybe they need more academic support or they just need more one-on-one attention from a caring adult presence in their lives.”

Volunteers can be placed in a range of classrooms from pre-K through high school, though most work with elementary and middle school students.

Duties can vary depending on the need of each class. Whether it’s making copies or leading a reading group, Dalton does her best to ease the burden of teachers managing their students.

“The reason we need more volunteers is that elementary school teachers are teaching a class of between 18 and 20, maybe more, kids who have the broadest range of abilities that you could possibly imagine,” said Dalton.

In one kindergarten classroom, Dalton sat beside an immigrant student who spoke mostly Spanish with a translator app to ensure that the student had a grasp on instructions and assignments. The FISH fill roles as needed.

“You’re there to do some of the grunt work. I call myself the copy queen,” said Dalton.

“We have FISH who work one-on-one with students or in small groups, and then we have some that support entire classes or they work in the library,” explained Broadhurst, “It can be a lot of different types of opportunities.” JABA will also gauge the interests of the volunteers and cross reference it with needs of teachers and classrooms. 

While teachers appreciate the help, they also notice the impact the program has had on their students.

“We get feedback from teachers and parents that mention social skills have gotten stronger, that their enthusiasm for school often increases and we notice that their work habits are more steady and more consistent,” said Broadhurst. 

Volunteers must be older than 18 and go through a screening process with a background check, but education experience is not mandatory.

“My only other teaching experience was the 2nd grade class at my church 50 years ago,” said Dalton.

A good FISH, though, according to Broadhurst, is one who can be ready for anything. “I think flexibility is key,” she said, “being able to change your mind on what you expect to go into the day with and being able to meet the needs that you see.“

Teachers and students may be receiving assistance, but the volunteers often take something away from the experience as well. “Volunteers often say that they get more out of it than they think they’re giving,” said Broadhurst, “the ability for them to share their wisdom and connect with the next generation is something I hear a lot of why they get involved.”

Dalton sees it as a smart investment. “I think any time you help with the education of a child you’re sort of putting money in the bank.”