Get Involved: City of Boulder

While we are not able to offer volunteer desk shifts at the libraries this summer, teens can volunteer and earn volunteer hours by helping others in the community along as you follow current recommended safety practices for yourself and others. Examples of eligible volunteering includes making masks, helping a neighbor with yardwork, and reading to siblings or grandparents. Teens can record hours in the Count Me In Boulder system and receive credit for volunteer hours.

You may also gain credit for volunteer hours by joining the Boulder Teen Advisory Board (BTAB) & Teen Chats on Wednesdays from 4:30 – 5:30 pm via Zoom (See Volunteer Application for more information.)

We ask that volunteers agreed to provide and record at least 6 hours of volunteer service throughout June, July and early August.

Partner with an English language learner for three hours per week to help them advance in their literacy skills. Adult Literacy Tutors must:

• Be at least 18 years old;
• Be comfortable reading and writing, speaking and listening in English;
• Complete the BoulderReads tutor training;
• Commit to 3 hours of tutoring a week for at least 6 months;
• Maintain regular contact with learners and BoulderReads staff;
• Meet learners at library branches or another public locations; and
• Be proficient with email, basic software and web-based electronic resources.

Commit to 3 hours of tutoring a week for at least 6 months.

The COVID-19 Recovery Center (CRC) is set up to provide people experiencing homelessness with a place to recover and rest. People experiencing homelessness don’t have places to rest or isolate and, therefore, can’t follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health guidelines. The CRC fills that gap. People who are sick enough to require more intensive care will be referred to the hospital, just like any people who are acutely distressed. Read more and about training for the volunteer roles here. The two volunteer roles are:

• COVID-19 CRC volunteers: These volunteers assist at the site, provide food, laundry, direction and general support to clients. All shifts are at the East Boulder Rec Center located at 5660 Sioux Dr, Boulder, CO 80303 (the CRC location).

• Screeners at shelters: These volunteers help screen people for symptoms daily at the homeless shelters. Individuals who are symptomatic will be driven to the CRC by staff drivers each evening. 

Shifts are 8 hours at the CRC and 3.5 to 4.5 hours at the shelters (depends on the shelther).

The Natural Lands Outreach Volunteer Program is a NEW program this year. Participants in this program can volunteer to host an Outreach table to welcome and educate users at the 55th Trailhead and Coot Lake Trailhead. Or, volunteers can walk the Path that runs from Coot Lake to the North Shores of the Boulder Reservoir and record the use at these Natural Areas. These positions will both inform our management decisions and teach users about this location. 

Interested volunteers must fill out an application to be interviewed for this position. Virtual training will be provided for anyone who is accepted into this volunteer program.

Volunteers are required to volunteer for one shift in June and 2 shifts in June, July, August, and September. We are in most need of volunteers between 12 and 3PM on Saturday and Sunday and from 3 to 6PM on Wednesdays. Please let us know if the established shifts do not fit your schedule and we will be happy to create a shift that works for you. 

Do you want to give back to our parks during this difficult time?

Park Champs are volunteers who adopt a park or portion of the park and commit to volunteering on a regular basis at that location. Park Champs are empowered to work independently and on the their own time. The tasks Park Champs complete may include: weeding, trash pick up, debris removal, and graffiti removal.

This program was started to address the needs of Parks and Recreation during the COVID-19 crisis. The COVID-19 crisis has caused Boulder’s Parks and Recreation (BPR) Department to cut budgets and reduce staffing levels. We need your help now more than ever to keep our community parks and public spaces safe and beautiful. Park Champs will:

- Help keep our parks maintained, clean, and beautiful

- Support park operations teams through staffing and budget reductions

- Provide Boulder community members a proactive opportunity to make a local impact and spend time outside with a purpose.

Park Champs should expect to work 3 or more hours a week at the park from now through October 18, 2020.

Have a green thumb and experience germinating seeds? We’re looking for gardeners to support self-isolating older adults to grow native plants from seed using a kit provided to the seniors by Small Gardens, Big Change. These seedlings will be collected in the fall and planted by the community to expand pollinator habitat. Not only will you help support the transformation of Boulder into a pollinator haven, you will provide a connection to older adults during this time of uncertainty. All volunteering is done remotely to keep folks safe. Want to help out, but don’t feel like you’re an expert gardener? Don’t worry - horticulturists from Colorado State University and the Butterfly Pavilion will provide guidance throughout the process. 

Learn more about the Small Gardens, Big Change program. This is a pilot program and your experience will help to shape the expansion of this program to provide the plant materials needed to create pollinator pathways throughout the city. 

Mentors will check in with their partners for approximately 30 minutes weekly.  Mentors can work with up to ten seniors, depending on their availability.  

You, or the organization you represent, can adopt a specific median, multi-use path, roadway, transit stop or pocket park for a period of one year (with the option to renew annually).

Monthly visits to the adopted area (weekly for RTD stops) are required.

Monthly visits to the adopted area (weekly for RTD stops) are required.

Your visit could include a visual inspection of the area up to maintenance on the area that includes any of the following (if applicable):

• Remove trash, leaves, and debris a minimum of once a month (week for RTD stops).
• Weed (mechanical or manual means only – no herbicide/pesticide application) a minimum of every two weeks during growing season (April – October).
• In the fall, pruning any ornamental grasses, pick up and dispose of leaves, and mulch existing mulched areas (city to provide mulch).
• Edge trim where landscaped areas meet hardscape areas; clearance trim anywhere landscaping is conflicting with pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
• Report any observable problems with the irrigation system (i.e., leaks, misdirected spray, etc.) or any hazards (such as needles) to Transportation Maintenance 303-441-3200.