San Antonio ISD

Volunteer & Community Services

2021-2022 Volunteer Program Update

Beginning Friday, October 1, 2021, volunteers will be welcome on campus to assist with school needs. The number of volunteers allowed on campus at any given time and for any activity must be approved by the school principal. Please contact your campus or FACE Specialist to inquire about volunteer opportunities.

In order to ensure the safety of District staff, students, and families, all volunteers are highly recommended to wear a face mask while on campus and follow all health and safety protocols outlined in the Safe Return to In-Person Learning and Continuity of Services Plan. We recommend that all volunteers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

STUDENT TEACHERS ONLY

Beginning with the 21-22 school year, student teachers/observers will not complete the volunteer application. STUDENT TEACHERS/OBSERVERS must contact Hope De Leon at hdeleon2@saisd.net for assistance with their application and background check.

All agency nurses, social work interns, after school care staff, and contracted teachers will not complete the volunteer application. Entities contracting with the District that are not able to complete their own employee background checks in order to comply with SB9 requirements must contact Procurement Services for assistance at (210) 354-9060.

Step-By-Step Guide to Apply

Anyone that wishes to volunteer with SAISD must complete the following:

Volunteer Application

All applicants must click here to access the
App-Garden landing page.

Returning Users:
Returning App-Garden users will log in using their email and password on file. To retrieve a forgotten password, returning users can click on “Forgot Password” and follow the instructions provided.

Once logged in, returning users must select "Renew Application" to submit a volunteer application for the current school year.

New Users:
New users will click on “New Registration” to create a an App-Garden profile. They will need to verify their email address before being able to log in. The user will receive a verification email in their inbox OR spam folder.

Once logged in, new users will be automatically prompted to complete a volunteer application for the current school year.

The applicant must complete all the required fields on the volunteer application. Under the Activity section, the applicant must select their volunteer activity.

Please note: Every applicant should first check with the campus to ensure a volunteer opportunity is available.

Once all fields have been completed, the application can be submitted.

Background Check

Once the volunteer application is submitted, the applicant will undergo a background check through the App-Garden system. Please allow up to 7 business days for the results of the background check to return.

The applicant will receive an email with next steps once the results of the background check have been returned to the District.

If the applicant's background check is flagged, the applicant will receive an email stating that their application is on hold for further review. The application will then be reviewed by the Volunteer Approval and Denial (VAD) Committee. The applicant will be notified of their approval or denial status within two weeks of the application date.

Required Acknowledgements

If approved, applicants must must sign in to their account to view the Volunteer Orientation video and acknowledge that they have read the Parent and Community Handbook, the Volunteer Standards of Conduct, the Volunteer Code of Ethics, and that they have met any other SAISD volunteer requirements.

If the volunteer does not sign into their account and acknowledge what is required within seven days of an approval status, their application will be deleted.