Scroll down to see volunteer programs accepting applications, organized by department within the City of Boulder and then alphabetical by volunteer role.
Looking to volunteer for a specific department? Check out their pages:
Partner with an English language learner for three hours per week to help them advance in their literacy skills. Adult Literacy Tutors must:
Apply below for the BoulderReads Literacy Tutor volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Karen Bowen
(303) 441-3192
Our Conversations in English program is looking for new volunteer facilitators and substitute facilitators to lead and support our in-person conversation sessions. Facilitators volunteer weekly to lead a conversation group. Substitute facilitators may volunteer once or twice a month, depending on program need and volunteer availability.
Conversations in English (CIE) volunteers provide English learners with opportunities to practice their speaking and listening skills in a friendly and informal environment. Our goal is that participants come together and practice their conversational skills in a supportive environment.
Interested? Follow the link to the right and fill out a volunteer application! -->
Apply below for the Conversations in English Volunteer volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Christine Burke
(303) 441-3098
Volunteers will provide one-on-one in-person help to adult patrons with questions about online library resources and broader technology questions. For more details, please see the application.
Apply below for the Drop-In Tech Help Coach volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Terzah Becker
(303) 441-3100
Help as a volunteer Saturday, October 7, at the Main Library, for the first LGBTQ+ Safety, Storytelling, and Sanctuary Summit!
Make a difference in your community by supporting this summit focused on how to inspire a love of reading through the art of drag. Adult and teen volunteers 16+ encouraged to sign up!
Volunteer roles include registration/sign-in, greeting and wayfinding, setting up and cleaning up, helping with serving meals, and assisting with story time! This is a fabulous opportunity to support the LGBTQ+ community by being part of this wonderful event.
Time Commitment: Shifts are 2-4.5 hours.
Ready to help? Sign up for your volunteer shift in the calendar!
Reynolds STEAM Pals (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) is a program intended to promote STEAM knowledge and literacy by providing role models for art and science activities at the George Reynolds Branch Library. We strive to foster a love for all things STEAM. This program promotes familiarity with the scientific process for children in elementary school in a comfortable and supportive environment. Little STEAM Pals is open for children in grades K-2.
If you are in grades 9-12, you can apply to partner up with a Little Pal to serve as a role model for exploring STEAM activities.
Applications are currently being accepted. Deadline to apply is Saturday, September 9, 2023. Click on the application for details on program dates.
Apply below for the STEAM Pals - Reynolds volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Mindy Burkhardt
Do you have a strong knowledge of literature and movies and have the ability to organize them into genres groupings? Do you enjoy organizing and straightening and organizing materials? If so, we have a role for you! Help sort and organize books and DVDs from the community and make them accessible to the public in our Paper & Spine Used Bookstore. The core tasks of this volunteer role include: emptying the donations room; sorting, scanning, and categorizing books and DVDS into appropriate genre categories; and stocking and tidying the Paper & Spine Used Bookstore.
Skills and experience required include: a solid knowledge a variety of genres of literature, music or movies; interest in organizing and keeping a bookstore stocked and presentable; reliable and able to set a regular time commitment; and able to grasp and move many materials on and off shelves.
The days and times volunteers are needed:
Monday 3:30-5:30pm, Tuesday 1-3pm, Wednesday 3:30-5:30pm, Thursday 9-11am and 1-3 pm, Friday 2-4pm and Saturday 1-3 pm.
During the Autumn pop up sale! October 18-24.
We ask that you be able to volunteer for at least one of these slots on a weekly basis, and we ask that you plan to volunteer for at least 6 months.
Posted only until volunteer slots are filled.
Apply below for the Used Bookstore and Donations Helper volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Sophia Surage
(303) 441-3409
Become part of an enthusiastic community that shares your passion. Volunteers are critical in all parts of the Housing and Human Services Department. Volunteer today!
Duties & Responsibilities
• Reviews, uses and promotes Older Adult Services documents for age-inclusive communication
Primary Bike Group Leader:
• Works with Program Coordinator to schedule and market the group
• Serves as the contact person for Let’s Age Well Program Guide and Older Adult Services website
• Maintains a current list of group participants
• Works with Program Coordinator and group to update participant registrations
• Provides regular session attendance reports:
o Notifies front desk staff of attendance for groups that meet onsite
• Provides participants with reminders of meeting dates for programs
• Notifies participants of irregular meeting times and/or holiday closures which cancel the activity
• For onsite group meetings:
o Submits set-up needs and requests to Program Coordinator
o Responsible for participant waivers if not accomplished digitally/online.
• Other duties as requested by Program Coordinator
Assistant Bike Group Leader:
• Supports Primary Group Leaders for the duties listed above as requested.
• Can also act as Bike Sweep, ensuring no cyclist is left behind.
Desired Qualifications
• Experience working directly with people, with the ability to model the City’s values of customer service, respect, integrity, innovation, and collaboration.
• Good communication skills and patience
• Practice excellent customer service, patience, kindness, and communication
• Some experience working with adults 60 years and older
• Organized and reliable
• Basic technology skills
Duties & Responsibilities
• Reviews, uses and promotes Older Adult Services documents for age-inclusive communication
• Receives the registration list of participants from Program Coordinator and tracks attendance for scheduled day trips.
• Coordinates participant signatures on waivers and returns completed waivers to Program Coordinator.
• Guides participants through the trip location for the duration of the trip.
• Responds to special needs and/or emergencies with participants; documents any accidents or incidents using designated forms and submits completed forms to Program Coordinator.
• Promotes future trips and programs with trip participants.
• Maintains positive, flexible attitude and is welcoming and patient with all participants; reports to Program Coordinator any problematic behavior or circumstances that occur during trip.
• Returns attendance sheets, receipts, name tags, & any reports to Program Coordinator.
• Participates in required trainings.
• Review, use and promote Older Adult Services documents for age-inclusive communication.
• Takes proper safety precautions, utilizes all required safety equipment and follows all safety regulations, policies and procedures. Reports all accidents and damage of city property to Program Coordinator.
Desired Qualifications
• Some experience working with adults 60 years and older.
• Experience working directly with people, with the ability to practice excellent customer service, patience, kindness, and communication.
• Organized and reliable.
• Current City of Boulder resident.
• Access to a mobile phone to use during trips.
• Have or create an email account that can be used to receive pertinent trip information from Program Coordinator.
• Access to a device to print documents.
Apply below for the Older Adult Services Volunteers volunteer role.
Registration is required for all volunteer opportunities!
Request a Volunteer Project for your group!
Visit the City's Court Ordered Community Service page to learn how you can fulfill your community service requirements.
Flowerbed, Litter, and Park Champ Programs will open by the end of March.
Our Flowerbed Champs help maintain a flower bed they adopt in our parks. Volunteers will weed, mulch, deadhead, and occasional plant in their adopted bed. They work closely with our horticulture staff who are available to help guide the work in the bed!
Apply below for the Flower Bed Champ volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Jeanne O'Connor
Litter Champs help keep our parks clean! They volunteer to help pick up trash in our parks or along Boulder Creek. We provide trash tongs and garbage bags for the champs to use.
Apply below for the Litter Champ volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Jeanne O'Connor
Park Champs help do multiple maintenance activities in the park they adopt. From picking up trash to weeding in the park they really invest in their local parks!
Be a Champ and help clear the outdoor courts of snow before your court reservation!
Apply below for the Snow Removal Champs volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Cassy Bohnet
(720) 795-2619
Natural Lands Outreach Volunteers welcome and educate users along the North Shore of the Boulder Reservoir and Coot Lake about: 1) Aquatic Nuisance Species, 2) area-specific rules (i.e., no swimming, no launching watercraft), and 3) wildlife closures to protect nesting bird species of concern. There will also be a rotating focus topic ranging from native plants, land stewardship, pollinators, and more. This focus topic will change each month. While staffing the table and patrolling, volunteers will collect data on visitor patterns, volume, and behavior. When volunteers observe rule violations, they will contact staff that can provide further education when appropriate. Please note, volunteers will not provide any type of enforcement, as this position will focus on monitoring and education only.
To apply, fill out the "Natural Lands Outreach Volunteer Application" to the right!
Apply below for the Volunteers for Natural Lands Outreach volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Erika Carlson
Become part of an enthusiastic community that shares your passion. Volunteers are critical in all parts of the Public Works Department. Volunteer today!
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).
This option allows individuals and groups a volunteer opportunity to contribute to the beautifying of the public domain and overall community well-being. Volunteers can set their own schedule for this work. The City of Boulder will recognize participants for their contributions to keeping public property debris-free and enhancing the city’s overall aesthetics.
Requirements:
Apply below for the Adopt-A-Spot volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Rene Lopez
(303) 413-7149
Boulder Walks with Older Adults: Walk Leaders is a city program that provides opportunities for neighbors to connect with each other and with local places and provides community members an active way to engage in pedestrian planning activities. Share an interest in walking, connecting with neighbors, learning about the community, and promoting health and well-being by becoming a volunteer Older Adult Walk Leader with Boulder Walks.
For questions contact Ericka Amador, city of Boulder Transportation and Mobility Senior Transportation Planner and coordinator of Boulder Walks programs at amadore@bouldercolorado.gov or 720-968-1500.
Apply below for the Boulder Walks - Walk Movement Leader volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Rachel McCoy
(303) 441-4099
The City of Boulder is committed to multi-modal transportation, including year-round access to bus transit. The city’s new Shovel-a-Stop Program is an effort to increase the number of bus stops cleared after each snow event. The current budget supports contractors hired by the city to clear approximately 40 high-ridership stops after snowfalls resulting in at least 2-inches of accumulation. This program aims to bolster that number with community volunteer support. Clearing bus stops helps prevent slips and falls and increases safety and accessibility for bus riders of all ages and abilities.
This program is a great opportunity for individuals, families, neighborhood groups or community organizations.
For more information and to apply to volunteer for this program, please click here.
Apply below for the Shovel-a-Stop volunteer role.
Questions? Contact Rachel McCoy
(303) 441-4099
View Flower Bed Champ Listing
View Litter Champ Listing
View Park Champs Listing
View Snow Removal Champ Listing
View Adopt - A - Spot Listing