How you'd help
- Sit with a few students during math class, alongside other volunteers.
- Work through problems together, and ask them to explain their thinking.
- Help them understand middle-school math concepts, from algebra to geometry.
Volunteer in an Austin middle-school classroom for the 2026–2027 school year!
Every school has a coordinator and weekly slots. When you sign up, we match you with the one that fits your schedule and location.
Registration and background checks live on Voly, the district's volunteer platform.
Fill out the interest form. A coordinator will reply with what to expect and the school that fits your schedule.
Voly is AISD's district-wide volunteer platform. It handles background checks and day-of check-ins.
Required by AISD. It takes about 15 minutes to submit and a few days to clear. We'll let you know when you're approved.
Once cleared, you'll sign up for a weekly Voly "opportunity" at your school. There are usually a few volunteers in each classroom, working alongside you.
Sitting in the classroom is by far the fastest and most enjoyable 45 minutes of my week. It is important that students see people (other than parents and teachers) care about them, and perhaps it may also inspire them to volunteer in the future.
Middle-school math. If you're comfortable with fractions, ratios, and beginning algebra, you're more than qualified. Generally you're sitting with a small group of students, usually two to four, asking them questions and helping them understand the concepts.
You're in the classroom with the teacher and usually a couple of other volunteers. Students split into small groups, and you sit with one to work through whatever the class is on that day. Sometimes that's a worksheet, sometimes a game, sometimes talking through a concept. You don't plan anything; the teacher tells you what they need.
45 minutes per visit, during a math class period in the regular school day. We aim for about once a week through the school year, though you can come more often if you'd like. On testing days, holidays, and breaks, there's no session.
Coaching usually starts about a month into the semester, so students can settle in first. Volunteers also join partway through. Sign up and a coordinator will match you with a class that fits your schedule.
Some students are most comfortable in Spanish, and some speak little English, so explaining a concept or working through a problem with them in Spanish helps. It's not required, though.
For 2026–2027: Kealing, Covington, Webb, Dobie, and Burnet. Times vary by school; we'll match you with one that fits your schedule when you sign up.
APIE ran this program for 20 years, then transitioned its programs to Austin ISD and Austin Ed Fund. AuSOME is a volunteer-led effort to keep the math coaching piece running and give new volunteers a clear "start here." We're not affiliated with APIE or AISD, just trying to fill the onboarding gap the transition left behind.
Yes. Email austinmathsupporters@gmail.com and we'll get you connected with the coordinator working with your school.
AuSOME is volunteer-run and doesn't accept donations right now. If you'd like to support the broader education ecosystem in Austin, Austin Ed Fund is the nonprofit that now stewards the programs APIE used to run.
