Opportunities Await: Volunteering with Your Installation’s School

Fresh buttery popcorn from the PTSO and PTOs are a district wide hit! Who doesn't love popcorn!

So, you're new to South Korea, or maybe you’re not, and you are wondering what you can do to pass the time. You may only have a few hours a week or only the occasional day here or there, or you might just have way too many hours on your hands and not enough to do. You may have a household full of children, or maybe none at all. While you are here, consider spending time with your installation’s school. There are many opportunities to volunteer despite which of the various posts or bases you will call your home.

Contribute to your community by volunteering through the PTO and PTSOs at one of the schools here on the peninsula! No matter which installation you find yourself be it Daegu, Osan, Humphreys, or one located near one of these, there is at least one school that would benefit from your free time. 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.

~Margaret Mead

Julie Brownell and Christie Ebersole with Humphreys Middle School PTSO treating teachers to a coffee cart break!

Many of the schools have fun activities like popcorn days or book fairs, there are spirit wear events, and helping with health fairs or field days. There are seasonal events like spring and winter bazaars, teacher appreciation days, student appreciation days, dances, and much, much more. Osan’s Middle High School PTO even fundraises for senior scholarships! Some opportunities occur during the day, some in the afternoons, and some in the evenings or weekends so there is something that’s perfect for anyone’s schedule.  

"Everyone can be great because everyone can serve."

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Osan Middle High School PTO donated $1,000 in scholarships. Fundraising helped fuel their scholarship program. Volunteers are always welcome to support the Osan community

Taking part in school engagement can be as simple as becoming a member of a PTO or PTSO. These membership dues fund events for students, teachers, and the entire school. Maybe you can help once a year. These organizations can use leaders too, board members are always welcomed! These volunteer opportunities are great things to add to a résumé for when you return to work or to fill requirements to aid in promotion. Best of all, you will bring joy to the many wonderful students whose lives you will enrich. 

Humphreys Central Elementary School (HCES) celebrates the month of the military child at the Humphreys High School football field on April 14, 2023. HCES hosts a purple up event annually to recognize and show support for military children and families. Parent volunteers help make events like this happen all across the pen! U.S. Army photo by Stanley James. 

As a parent, I am always looking for ways to engage with my child’s school. As they get older, the days of “room moms” slowly dwindle. Through the PTSO I can be in my child’s school more regularly. Through volunteering, I build relationships with the school administrators, and teachers both in my child’s grade and maybe future teachers too. Meeting other parents in our community has also strengthened ties and helped me put down roots here in South Korea. Volunteering has supported my entire family; our family is more connected to the school happenings and our child has meaningful experiences that will build lasting positive memories of his school time overseas. 

Humphreys West and Humphreys Central PTSO. 

There are more benefits I could list, but to get at the heart of this message, opportunities await, you just have to take them. Not sure where you start? Many of our schools have a Facebook page or you can get contact information through the main front desk of the school they support. 

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

~Mahatma Gandhi

U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys DoDEA mascots compete in a 100-meter race during the Humphreys Unified Special Olympics Track & Field Event, April 11, at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, April 11. This year’s event included participants from Humphreys Central Elementary, Humphreys West Elementary, Humphreys Middle School, and the city of Pyeongtaek. Volunteers from the PTSO at all schools helped with this event! Special Olympics is a global movement of people, creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is excepted and welcome, regardless of ability or disability. DoD photo by Pfc. Suyeon Hwang, KATUSA.

Children are the future. When you invest in children, you help shape and mold our society. How will your investment of time and involvement shape the course of our community? Find out and volunteer this year! 

*The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.