Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hands on DC?
Hands on DC is an all-volunteer project that creates better schools and brighter futures for students in the District of Columbia, by holding a day-long work-a-thon that improves conditions in the public schools and raises money for college scholarships.

When is the work-a-thon?
The 14^th annual Hands on DC work-a-thon will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2008.

What happens on event day?
At 9:00 am, you should arrive at your assigned school, sign-in with the Site Registrar (SR), and hand in any pledge money that was not collected online. Your Site Coordinator (SC) will then instruct you and your team about the projects that will be done at the school. There will be a break for lunch, and clean up begins around 3:00 pm. Then join us for a day's end celebration at 8:00 pm.

What types of projects happen at the schools on event day?
Many of the projects involve painting (classrooms, hallways, etc.) or landscaping (mulching or planting). Sometimes, there are special projects. Some of these special projects have included wiring classrooms for computers, installing carpeting, repairing bathroom plumbing and painting murals.

Do I need any special skills?
No! Anyone can volunteer at a school on event day. But if you are a plumber, carpenter, artist, computer technician or have another special skill you’d like to put to use for Hands on DC, please contact the Sites Committee’s special projects coordinator at sites@handsondc.org.

Do I need my own supplies?
No. All the supplies you’ll need will be available at the school on event day. Just bring your enthusiasm! And wear work clothes and shoes, because many of the projects include painting and cleaning.

What happens if it rains?
The work-a-thon takes place rain or shine.

Will lunch be provided?
Although some schools may provide lunch for the volunteers, it is not guaranteed. Your Site Coordinator and Site Registrar will be in contact with your Team leader about lunch arrangements for the day. In cases where food cannot be donated, we typically ask volunteers to bring $5 for pizza or sandwiches. We encourage all volunteers to bring water.

How do I register for the work-a-thon?
If you’d like to organize a team to work at a school on event day, visit our event website and click "Register Here" to create your team and begin recruiting members. For more detailed instructions on starting a team and recruiting team members online, check out this Team leader Instruction Sheet.

If you are joining a team, visit our event website, click "Register Here" and then find the team you are joining. If you have any questions about registering, e-mail volunteer@handsondc.org.

Why do I need a team?
HoDC expects around 2,000 volunteers to work at nearly 30 schools on the day of the work-a-thon. Each school has specific project needs, and the number of volunteers varies school-by-school. To make sure that the right number of volunteers are at each school and facilitate the logistics of volunteer assignment, Hands on DC recruits teams of volunteers. All volunteers from a team are assigned together to a school.

What does a Team Leader do?
A Team Leader is the liaison between Hands on DC and a group of volunteers. Team leaders recruit a group of volunteers to participate at a school on the day of the work-a-thon. Team size is generally between 10-25 people, but we welcome teams of any size. As a team leader, you are required to attend one orientation session and are responsible for passing logistical information to your group.

What if I can't attend the team leader orientation, can I still volunteer?
We strongly encourage every team leader to attend a brief (one-hour) orientation session to hear about the day, and to receive important information about volunteering for you and your team members. If you cannot attend any of the several scheduled sessions, contact the Recruitment committee at volunteer@handsondc.org and we will try to make alternate arrangements.

When and where are the team leader orientation sessions?
Team Leader orientations will be on March 12th and March 26th from 7:30pm-8:30pm in the 7th floor conference room at the offices of Resources for the Future, 1400 16th Street NW (16th & P streets, near the Dupont Circle metro stop). You will need to sign in with the guard and show an ID. Then join us after the meeting for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. Contact volunteer@handsondc.org to let us know which orientation you will be attending.

Is transportation provided to my assigned school?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide transportation for the more than 2,000 volunteers on the day of the work-a-thon. Therefore, we encourage teams to car pool. Some schools will be metro accessible. If you do not have transportation for your team, please indicate when you register that you need a metro-accessible school. Your Team Leader will know your school assignment about two weeks before the event and can help coordinate transportation for your team.

What if my teammates flake out, should I still show up?
Yes. As soon as you know that your team is smaller (or larger) than you originally thought, let us know by e-mailing volunteer@handsondc.org . We still need every possible volunteer to show up, even if your team is smaller.

Can I request a particular school/assignment?
We try to honor requests to be placed at a specific school on event day, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all preferences.

Can I know my school ahead of time?
Approximately two weeks before the event, we will contact the team leaders to let them know which schools they will be going to. Team leaders will communicate with their team members and help to coordinate transportation.

What is the Adopt-a-School program?
Adopting a school is a great opportunity for your team to build a relationship with a local public school. A minimum $500 donation will enable HoDC to purchase the supplies to be used at your adopted school, and your team will volunteer at the adopted school during the work-a-thon. Learn more about the Adopt-a-School program and other sponsorship opportunities on the sponsors page.

My team adopted a school; do I also have to raise pledge money?
We encourage all volunteers, including volunteers on teams that adopt a school, to raise pledges to raise money for scholarship funds for deserving students.

Why do I have to raise pledge money?
Pledge money raised by volunteers helps to create brighter futures for DC students. 100% of pledges raised by volunteers go directly to scholarships. Hands on DC works with College Bound (www.collegebound.org/), a local mentoring and tutoring organization, to identify outstanding students in their program who receive $6,000 scholarship grants. Read more about past scholarship recipients.

Can I get people to pledge online for me?
Absolutely! In fact, using our online system makes collecting pledges much easier! Once you've registered for the work-a-thon, you can easily send e-mail messages to friends that link directly to a special donation page for you. Also, anyone can look you up from the http://handsondc.kintera.org website and make a pledge to you.

How do I get a t-shirt?
T-shirts are given to volunteers who raise $35 in pledges. A specified number of t-shirts are also given to sponsor teams based on the size of their sponsorship.

Can a group of high school students/scouts/youth group members volunteer?
Yes! We ask that each team with youth volunteers has at least one adult to every 3 minors. All volunteers under 18 must have their liability waiver signed by a parent or guardian in order to participate in the event.

Can students earn community service hours for volunteering?
Yes. The Site Coordinator or Site Registar for your school can provide any necessary signatures.

Are there volunteer opportunities available other than the spring work-a-thon?
The work-a-thon takes a lot of preparation. Volunteers on the HoDC Organizing Committee meet regularly, beginning six months prior to event day, to plan the event. We’re always looking for people to help on one (or more) of our several committees (Sites, Publicity, Recruitment and Fundraising). See below for descriptions of the committees. Also, we hold projects periodically throughout the school year and during the summer and welcome your help with those. All projects are announced through our newsletter and on our website homepage.

When and where does the Organizing Committee meet?
The Hands on DC Organizing Committee meetings are held every other Wednesday from 7:30pm-8:30pm in the 7th floor conference room at the offices of Resources for the Future, 1400 16th Street NW (16th & P streets, near the Dupont Circle metro stop). You will need to sign in with the guard and show an ID. Then join us after the meeting for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. Click here for details on our next Organizing Committee Meeting.

What happens at Wednesday’s Organizing Committee meetings?
Volunteers on our several committees (Fundraising, Publicity, Recruitment and Sites) meet to brainstorm and determine what tasks need to be done to successfully coordinate the work-a-thon. Meetings last about 60 minutes, then are adjourned to a local restaurant for dinner and/or drinks.

What does the Fundraising committee do?
The Fundraising Committee secures financial and in-kind support needed to stage the work-a-thon, from local businesses and individual donors. Read a more detailed committee description, including sample tasks and expected time commitments, on the committees page.

What does the Publicity committee do?
The Publicity Committee promotes Hands on DC's fundraising events and the work-a-thon, by communicating with the media and the community. It seeks to raise awareness of the needs of DC schools and students and the role Hands on DC plays in the community. Read a more detailed committee description, including sample tasks and expected time commitments, on the committees page.

What does the Recruitment committee do?
Members of the Recruitment Committee reach out to all sectors of the Washington-area community to sign up volunteers to participate on the day of the work-a-thon, as well as to help plan the work-a-thon throughout the year. Read a more detailed committee description, including sample tasks and expected time commitments, on the committees page.

What does the Sites committee do?
The Sites Committee selects the work-a-thon’s schools and projects. It coordinates the collection and distribution of supplies, and oversees the actual work on the day of the event. Read a more detailed committee description, including sample tasks and expected time commitments, on the committees page.

What does a Regional Coordinator do?
Regional Coordinators (RCs) are responsible for coordinating efforts at 4 schools. Initially, RCs visit each school to gauge potential painting, landscaping and special projects, and collect school contact information. For each school selected, an RC makes a second visit to collect detailed project information. During the week preceding the event, RCs are expected to be at the staging area during the evenings.

What is the staging area?
The staging area is where volunteers gather and distribute all the supplies and tools needed for the work-a-thon. During the weeks leading up to event day, the staging area is the location for all planning meetings.

What does a Site Coordinator do?
Site Coordinators (SCs) are responsible for the projects at one school on the day of the work-a-thon. SCs direct the volunteers assigned to their school in completing the projects at their school. Hands on DC provides training and all the supplies needed for the school. The SC will be expected to make at least 1 visit to their school prior to the event to familiarize themselves with the various projects. Their major responsibilities are to manage volunteers on the day of the event and to make sure all tools and supplies are properly distributed to appropriate tasks.

What does a Site Registrar do?
The Site Registrar’s (SR) commitment is solely to one school. The Site Coordinator contacts volunteer teams before the event, registers teams and collects pledges on the day of the event, helps to coordinate service learning information, and supports the Site Coordinator (SC) throughout the day.

I can’t come to Wednesday meetings. Can I still volunteer?
Yes! You can be a team leader or team member on the day of the work-a-thon without attending the Wednesday Organizing Committee meetings. You can also volunteer as a Site Coordinator (SC) or Site Registrar (SR) at a school on event day. For more information about being an SC or an SR, please contact the Sites Committee at sites@handsondc.org.