Starting with the 23-24 school year, our team at Learning for Success will no longer be facilitating the coordination of the KAPOW and MFIN programs. Click here to see the complete announcement. The following is your guide to continuing and managing your KAPOW or MFIN partnership.
Table of Contents
Section 1. Renewal / Recruitment / General Questions
Section 2. Training / Starting the Program
Section 3. Completing Lessons
Section 4. Organizing Worksite Visits (field trips)
Section 5. Awarding Participants / Completing the Program
1. Renewal/Recruitment
What should I do if I can’t find the answer to my question on the website?
All decision making power now falls to the teacher-volunteer pairs, and their respective school administrations and workplace supervisors. Other people to consult for information:
- School principal
- KAPOW/MFIN school coordinator
- Workplace supervisor (volunteers)
- Workplace department head (volunteers)
- Teachers who have participated in the past (see our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page for the 22-23 School Participants list)
- Volunteers who have participated in the past (see our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page for the 22-23 Volunteer Participants list)
- Other schools/businesses who have participated in the past (see our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page for the 22-23 School Participants list)
How do I get the contact info for my partner teacher?
Contact the school principal or KAPOW/MFIN coordinator at your partner school. The phone number for any school can be Googled.
Does our school have to renew with the same KAPOW/MFIN teachers from last year?
Any teacher from the previous school year(s) can participate as well as teachers new to the program.
Does our school have to renew with all of my partner volunteers? Can I choose which ones I’d like to renew?
Before the program begins, the KAPOW/MFIN Coordinator should confirm with each participating teacher whether they would like to renew with the same volunteer(s) or recruit new volunteers.
Can my school continue to host Learning For Success one-time presentations?
Yes. Our LFS program offerings are described on our LearningFROMSuccess and Collaborations pages. Email kapowlfs@gmail.com for more details.
What if our school has a new principal who is unfamiliar with the KAPOW or MFIN program?
Refer them to our updated Partnership Provisions on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page, our KAPOW Curriculum or MFIN Curriculum page, and our About KAPOW or About MFIN page.
Once the Principal approves the program, what do they do next?
- Appoint the KAPOW/MFIN Coordinator
- Ensure that the Coordinator reviews and accepts their responsibilities detailed in our Partnership Provisions on the KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page.
- Establish which classes will participate in the program. KAPOW grades are 2-5, MFIN grades are 6-9.
How do we renew our current volunteers?
- Participating teachers can call or email their partner volunteers from last year to confirm their participation. Teachers need to confirm their volunteer’s renewal with their KAPOW/MFIN Coordinator.
Which teachers and/or volunteers participated in the 22-23 school year?
See our 22-23 School and Volunteer participant lists on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page.
What is needed for new teachers and volunteers to participate?
New teachers and volunteers watch the virtual training webinar on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page and attend a planning meeting with their KAPOW/MFIN partner to complete their Schedule Sheet (also on our Training page). The KAPOW/MFIN coordinator is responsible for ensuring that new participants complete the training and the planning session before starting the program.
What if the previous volunteer(s) can no longer participate? How can I recruit new volunteers if needed?
RECRUITMENT SUGGESTIONS:
- Ask your previous volunteer(s) to refer you to new prospects.
- Send out a copy of the Volunteer Recruitment Flyer on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page to parents asking them to volunteer or recommend others.
- Contact past volunteers at your school/in your area (see our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page for the 22-23 Volunteer Participants list).
- Join and post notices with free volunteer recruitment services, including HandsOn Miami, HandsOn Broward, and VolunteerMatch.
- Invite colleagues, friends and neighbors to volunteer at your school.
- Join and attend your local chamber of commerce where you can network with people who may recruit to volunteer.
- Make recruitment presentations at your local service clubs including Kiwanis and Rotary.
2. Training/Starting
the Program
Once we decide to renew (with the principal’s approval), how does the school get the program started again?
The appointed KAPOW/MFIN Coordinator does the following:
- Review the Coordinator Resources our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page.
- Confirm the participating teachers for the new school year.
- Have participating teachers confirm their partner volunteers from last year, contact their volunteers directly, or recruit new volunteers (see our Recruitment Suggestions in the question above).
- Schedule a planning meeting with each teacher-volunteer pair or with all participants as a group using the Planning Meeting Checklist on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page. The goals of this meeting are to finalize the teacher/volunteer pairings, finalize the lesson dates/times and lesson activities.
- Keep a copy of each KAPOW partner pair’s schedule sheet and/or each MFIN partner pair’s lesson schedule on file.
Do volunteers need to be approved by the school district?
Yes. ALL volunteers must be approved by the school district that their partner school resides in BEFORE being allowed into the classroom. See the school district links below to register as a Level 1 volunteer.
Broward County Volunteers
Miami-Dade County Volunteers
Monroe County Volunteers
3. Completing Lessons
How to ensure lessons are completed?
It is the responsibility of the teacher and volunteer to ensure lessons are completed and rescheduled if necessary, with oversight from the KAPOW/MFIN Coordinator.
4. Organizing Worksite Visits
The KAPOW/MFIN Worksite Visit (Field Trip) provides students with a real-world experience in the workplace and an opportunity to see how the work skills in the other lessons are utilized. See our Worksite Visits page.
Does the work site visit happen at the end of the 7 lessons?
The worksite visit can happen anytime after the first volunteer lesson is completed, with approval by the school principal. April and May are the busiest months for field trips in Broward and Miami-Dade County so keep that in mind while planning to secure transportation.
Who pays for the student transportation to the work sites?
This is the school’s responsibility. See our Partnership Provisions on the KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page.
What if paying for the bus(es) for field trips is a challenge?
School administrators involved in the field trip planning process should review the list of options below.
- Use a private bus company instead of the district’s school buses. A1A is a school board approved company – the most recent rate we have is $57/hour – they can be reached at 954-584-5877/305-685-8040
- Get a closer estimate of the duration of the trip. Two hours at the visit location should be workable. Then adding the driving time should provide a more accurate estimate.
- Some BCPS high schools have “activity buses”. You may be able to secure one from your connected high school. A driver has to be paid but that could be much cheaper.
- Consider setting up a “truck day.” This is where trucks are brought to your campus (typically by your city or the county) so the students can interact with the people who work at those departments and experience their equipment.
- Consider a virtual trip if your partner volunteer(s) are able to arrange this and the bus cost remains prohibitive. Some excellent virtual trips can also be found on our Worksite Visits page.
5. Awarding Participants/
Completing the Program
How to recognize participating students at the end of the program?
- Use the student certificate on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page. These can be customized, printed and given out at the last lesson, during graduation for 5th graders or at the worksite visit–whichever happens last.
- Each school can hold an internal KAPOW/MFIN student essay contest. Do not submit nominations for Student, Teacher or Volunteer of the Year to LFS staff.
How can I honor my KAPOW/MFIN partner?
- Include KAPOW/MFIN participants in your own annual awards event.
- Give your KAPOW/MFIN partner our participation certificate (found on our KAPOW Training or MFIN Training page).
- Schools can collect nominations internally for the Coordinator/Administration to decide on the Teacher of the Year and Volunteer of the Year winner. Do not submit nominations for Student, Teacher or Volunteer of the Year to LFS staff.
kapowlfs.com 