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Get Involved

Volunteer

Volunteers are an important part of our model in providing high-quality, affordable arts education. Every semester more than 100 volunteers give an hour of their time every week to teaching our students.

Sitar’s volunteers and teaching artists from our partner organizations teach more than 80 classes each week in the visual arts, dance, creative writing, drama, music, digital arts, and approximately 100 private music lessons. These local visual and performing artists who volunteer their time and talents enable Sitar to achieve its mission and ensure that each semester 80% of students are from households with low-income.

The faculty does more than just teach; they become mentors and role models for students, often forging meaningful and lasting relationships. We are profoundly grateful to our volunteer faculty for strengthening the lives of our children and strengthening our community.

Volunteer Teaching Artist Positions

There are opportunities to become a part of Sitar’s volunteer faculty in visual arts, music, creative writing, dance, drama, and graphic arts for those with three or more years experience in any of the artistic disciplines. Click here to find out more about becoming a volunteer teacher.

Other Volunteer Support

You don’t need to have an arts background to volunteer. If you are interested in assisting with various volunteer needs at the Center, including lobby hosting, help with administrative tasks, mailings, Center maintenance, event support, or a volunteer internship, submit a Volunteer Application and email it to Nickole Best or call (202) 797-2145, ext. 110 for more information.

Community Service Opportunities for High School Students

High school students seeking community service hours are required to enroll at Sitar as students during the Sitar registration period and must register for at least one teen arts class (for their personal enrichment – not for community service credit) in addition to registering for a “community service job.”

During the registration appointment students will work with the Senior Director of Programs to select a community service job from a list of available jobs that best fits their skills and interests as well as the needs of the Center.

Students must make a commitment for the duration for the semester (11 weeks for fall or 13 weeks for spring) and must attend both their teen arts class and their community service job each week in order to receive community service credit. Students are able to earn one to two hours per week (for a total of 15 – 30 hours for a fall or spring semester) and are responsible for keeping track of their earned hours.

Community service jobs are not available during the summer, unless students are enrolled in the S.E.A.L. summer internship program. For more questions regarding community service, students may contact Nickole Best or call (202) 797-2145, ext. 110.