General Volunteers: MLK Jr. Day of Service 2017

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Event Description: On Monday, January 16, 2017 more than 1500 community and corporate volunteers will make MLK Jr. Day of Service a "Day on, not a day off" as they revitalize and beautify the campus of Dorsey High School, a Title I high schools in Mid-City, Los Angeles. At this Title I school, 60% of the students receive free lunch and come from families that are low-income. The L.A. Unified School District is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California. This district has a reputation for extremely crowded schools, high dropout and expulsion rates, low academic performance in many schools, and poor maintenance. Over 71,000 students start the 9th grade in LAUSD and fewer than 31,000 graduate 4 years later, only 8,200 are prepared for college.

Volunteer Project:Because research has shown that children learn better in an environment in which they feel proud and comfortable, volunteers will transform the campus by repairing and replacing dated and peeling murals, painting school buildings, and rehabilitating and expanding the gardens. Volunteers will put their constructions skills to work with building benches, seedling tables, and a gazebo for outdoor classrooms and learning. Additionally, volunteers will assist the school community with a sustainable e-waste program. School gardens and urban gardening have an impact on science, math, social studies and language and visual arts. In addition, the students have the benefit of learning teamwork and responsibility by caring for the garden. The students will also see first hand the wonders of fresh food, healthy nutrition, and benefits of exercise.

Check-in: Please arrive at 9:00 am.

Teams/Groups: We encourage groups to join us for the big day. Volunteers are assigned to projects on a first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee that your group will be able to volunteer for the same project. To increase your chance of volunteering with your group, please come early and arrive together. How to sign up your teams . Our corporate sponsors help make this event possible! Thank you sponsors to-date: Target, Macy's, Accenture, and Jonathan Club! Fiscal sponsorship is available for corporate teams who would like to volunteer together.

Minors: Any volunteer under the age of 18 will need to bring and have signed by a parent/guardian an L.A. Works Volunteer Agreement & Release for Minors. Volunteers under the age of 14 must have a parent/guardian with them. Volunteers under the age of 14 cannot create L.A. Works Accounts so parents/guardians must create a Team to sign up their family. See note above under the section "Teams/Groups."

Want faster check-in time? Print out the general waiver beforehand, and bring your signed copy to the event!

Dress Code: Casual attire and sneakers (sturdy closed-toe shoes). Please wear clothing that you don't mind getting dirty. Wear sunscreen, a hat and bring your own eco-friendly water bottle if you have one.

Accessibility: L.A. Works firmly believes that we strengthen the social fabric of our community by involving all in service. If you feel you need accommodations to participate in this project please email us at info@laworks.com. Questions? Email the Opportunity Leader below. If you would like to volunteer for this opportunity, please click on the SIGN UP button.