Deloitte Makes Volunteering at Wellstone High School a No-Brainer
Fridays at Wellstone International High School are highly anticipated—but not because they signify a coming weekend. Students there are excited about a recent addition to the day of classes: a special session with volunteers from Deloitte’s Consulting and Audit departments.
Across a six week span, a group of Deloitte employees take out time from their corporate days to work with Wellstone’s students as a part of the Achieve! Career and College Initiative. The Initiative is a privately funded organization dedicated to helping students in the Lehmann Center, which includes Wellstone International High School, Uptown Academy High School, and Adult Basic Education, plan for life after high school.
At 17 to 21 years old and with limited English language skills, the Wellstone students welcome the chance to learn about colleges, interviewing, resume writing, and job searching from Deloitte’s experienced professionals.
Catherine Smith takes the lead
Audit Manager Catherine Smith helped recruit her coworkers to form what is now a 15-person group of volunteers. Deloitte Consulting Principal Tom Foley offers the group guidance and support, and the company policy of allocating 40 hours a year to volunteer projects bolsters the efforts of the Wellstone team.
For Smith, Deloitte’s volunteering policy was crucial to the team’s participation at Wellstone International High. “Allowing employees to volunteer during the work week speaks volumes about the company,” said Smith.
To prepare for their sessions at the school, Deloitte employees worked to brainstorm six classroom presentations. The team shared their materials with Breanna Parslow, the Wellstone Career and College Center Coordinator. They also invited two graduating seniors to Deloitte for a presentation and integrated the students’ feedback into the curriculum.
In addition, their preparation included learning about the cultures of the students they would be helping — many of whom have significant language barriers. Over the summer before she started volunteering, Smith and her fellow volunteers worked to be more sensitive to backgrounds they were unfamiliar with.
Flexibility is key
A large time commitment is one reason professionals may hesitate before signing up for a volunteering opportunity. This can be easily remedied, said Smith. She recommends participating in a flexible program. “We are not all there for all 6 weeks, so you can plan it around your own time.”
Even small time investments can yield measurable results. For the Deloitte volunteers at the Wellstone High School, the outcome of one particular session on resumes was clear. Parslow observed that after creating resumes in the session, students used them to apply in record numbers for STEP-UP, a summer jobs program offered through the Achieve!Minneapolis.
While a success like the high number of applicants indicates the volunteers’ influence, students and teachers simply appreciate the thoughtful approach and careful planning of the Deloitte team. “One teacher told me the volunteers are sincere and genuinely care about helping students,” said Parslow.
The volunteers’ commitment to the Lehmann Center will not be limited to the short term. After their positive first run at Wellstone High School, the Deloitte team has taken on a new session with the Adult Basic Education center.
