Volunteer

NW GI Volunteer

Volunteers are made of fairy dust!

Volunteers are an essential ingredient in the Children’s Fairyland community. Throughout the year, we connect with volunteers who believe in making a positive impact through sharing their time and talent. 

Here are upcoming opportunities:

Fall and Winter events-

  • Halloween Jam - facilitate hands-on and festive activities and pass out treats 
  • Magic Kitchen - assist with set up and tear down, help us pass out treats to guests after the cooking demo
  • Winterland - be a barista and help with arts and craft’s activities 

We have opportunities that are just right for you. New volunteers will need to register and returning volunteers can sign up for upcoming opportunities through our volunteer portal.

 Call for Toddler Storytime volunteers

Children’s Fairyland is thrilled to recruit the next cohort of Toddler Storytime volunteers! This fun, interactive program encourages the development of language in young children. Each session provides 20 minutes of early literacy activities—reading aloud, singing, and movement—in the joyful environment of Fairyland! Toddler Storytime is offered on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. and is included in park admission.

Here’s where you come in...

We are looking for adult volunteers (18+) who can lead toddler-specific Storytimes at our outdoor Emerald City Stage on Fridays. Weʼll provide the necessary training! We simply ask that volunteers commit to completing the training and, afterwards, lead one or two Toddler Storytimes per month.

Readers should be comfortable engaging with and leading a group of children, parents, and

caregivers. Through the training, these volunteers will develop skills in reading aloud, songleading, and other fun literacy-focused activities.

The mandatory, and highly interactive, Storytime training is led by Fairyland Librarian Angela Moffett on September 22 and 23, 2023.

2-Day Mandatory Training
Friday and Saturday
September 22-23
9:30-4:00 p.m.

If you would like to become a Storytime volunteer, please email Vicky Chen.

You’ll complete a short questionnaire to find out more about your experience and interests. 

We strive to represent the diversity of our community and strongly encourage folks who identify as bilingual, as male, and/or as BIPOC to apply!

We’re so excited to hear from you!

 Call for Stories Committee Member

We are looking for community members who are passionate about giving children a rich literature and storytelling experience. The ideal committee member has multiple areas of expertise with a diverse perspective to help guide the stories we tell at Fairyland for the year 2025.

The goal of the Stories Committee is to deepen our reach with children through stories that reflect their identity and build a stronger learning community at Fairyland. We have long recognized the need to present stories that are inclusive in representation and seek to strengthen the connection between our performances and audiences. The collective knowledge of Stories Committee members who are well-versed in performing arts, children's literature, and early childhood education will help recommend thoughtful, relevant stories that reflect our place and time. 

Committees Members 
We are seeking 4 members from the community of one or more of the following professions: 

  • Early Childhood Educator 
  • Performing Artist 
  • Teaching Artist 
  • Children’s Librarian 
  • Puppeteer 

Roles and Responsibilities 
The roles of the Committee are: 

  1. To recommend culturally inclusive children's stories that represent the identity of Oakland. 
  2. Help Fairyland connect with sources who can help authentically represent stories and provide cultural competencies. 

In Scope: 

Relevant stories for children ages 1-8. 

Recommendations and connections to associate artists, community groups. 

Feedback on performance venue, type, and genre.

Consideration of past shows. 

Connecting stories to our audience. 

Out Scope: 

Budget of production. 

Staffing decisions. 

Finalizing selection.

Criteria for Committee Members

  • Familiarity with Fairyland 
  • Be knowledgeable and experienced in their respective discipline, either as an educator or performer in their respective discipline of education and/or performing arts.
  • Commitment to community inclusion and representation for Children’s Fairyland. 
  • Consider the best interests of the entire community. 
  • Be willing and able to make a contribution of time. 

Commitment per member is approximately 10-16 hours per year for meetings, research, and material review. An honorarium of $400 will be offered for non-staff committee members after attending their fourth meeting. 

Key Deliverables (each meeting is 1.5 hours with 3-8 hours of independent work)*

Early September 2023 meeting #1 - Info sharing of new mission and vision statements from Education Team, community building (all), overview of the annual program calendar, brainstorm possible stories.

Mid September 2023 meeting #2 - Education Team shares Theatre programs and criteria, discuss public domain vs. copy written titles, discuss roles of committee members, refine themes to align with Fairyland’s annual calendar.

Early October 2023 meeting #3 - Narrow down relevant titles, discuss opportunities for titles to be turned into a play on stage.

Mid October 2023 meeting #4 - Identify titles for each program, goal: 10 puppet shows, 6 Children’s Theatre, and possibly 3 Theatre for the Very Young.

Early November2023  meeting #5 - Refine stories selections.

Mid November 2023 meeting #6 - Discuss Independent work, research, and execution of projects (licensing rights, connect with community partners and cultural consultants), and share feedback and acknowledgements.

*subject to change as we confirm the details of each meeting expectation

Timeline 

July-August ‘23 - Recruit 4 vacant seats.

September ’23 - Kick-off and second meeting.

October ‘23 - Third and fourth meeting.

November’ 23 - Fifth and sixth meeting.

December-January ‘23 Independent work and review scripts.

Interested in joining? 

Please email Vicky Chen and include your resume along with a short statement explaining your interest. 

Fairyland is committed to inclusive representation and we prioritize creating space for folks within BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and differently abled communities. 

What you can expect

What you can expect from us:

  • Respect- We promise to treat all volunteers with kindness and consideration. Your time is valuable to us!
  • Communication- If you have signed up for a volunteer shift and our plans have changed, we will give you the most advance notice possible. We will let you know what you will be working on, and show you how your efforts have contributed to our successes. We will give you the best instructions we can, and answer your questions.
  • Appreciation- As a non-profit, non-commercial park, we rely on volunteer contributions to continue to serve the children and families in our community. Your support makes our work possible. Thank you!

What we ask of all of our volunteers:

  • Respect- Please treat park staff, our guests, and other volunteers as you would like to be treated. The golden rule makes Fairyland go round.
  • Communication- Please give us advance notice if you can’t make a shift that you have signed up for. If you’re not sure about something, ask! Please let us know if you have concerns. The best way to contact us is to email our volunteer coordinator. Please understand that our staff has a variety of different schedules, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
  • Cooperation- We’re working hard to put your time to good use, and we ask that our volunteers do the same for us.

Volunteer FAQs

I’m under 18. Can I still volunteer?

Under special circumstances, we allow minors to help Fairyland with their parent/guardian’s consent. Please email our Volunteer Coordinator for more information: outreach@fairyland.org

 

May I bring my kids with me?

Because we don’t normally work with volunteers who are minors, please leave kids at home during your volunteering hours. You are most welcome to bring them back later to admire your handiwork.

 

I want to bring my friend/family member/co-worker/neighbor/assistant/attorney/etc. with me (or basically recruit more volunteers)?

Please spread the work about Fairyland’s volunteer program, we rely on community support. To make the best use of your volunteer hours, we need to plan ahead, so please don’t bring people along unannounced. The best way for people to sign up is to fill out our volunteer form and join our email list. You can refer people to our online form or pass along our paper version.

 

I want to sign up for a big group or plan a volunteer event?

Please email our Volunteer Coordinator about your idea. The following information will help us determine how best to make use of your group’s efforts:

  • the size of your group
  • your group’s age range
  • the dates and times that your group is available, and any deadlines you are working with
  • any specific project interests (i.e. gardening, painting, or carpentry, etc.)
  • any tasks or projects that would not work for your group (i.e. no painting)

 

Can I offer my special skill or service?

Please make sure you fill out our volunteering form completely, and list your skills and services specifically. We will get in touch with volunteers individually to follow up.

 

Want to hear my idea or advice for Fairyland?

That’s great! Please direct all comments, ideas, advice, and references to our Volunteer Coordinator. We will follow up with you if we need more information.

 

Can I have some free passes?

The short answer is not usually. We are a non-profit organization, and we have a very limited budget for incentives and gifts. But we truly value your contribution.

 

How should I contact Fairyland?

The best way for volunteers to contact us is to email our Volunteer Coordinator. Once you have signed up for a shift, and if you have questions, our office line is (510) 452-2259, and our office hours are from 10 am to 4 pm. Depending on who is supervising your project, you may email or call your supervisor individually from time to time, but please keep our office hours in mind, and understand that we might not always be able to respond immediately to all communication. Thanks for your patience. If you have something urgent to tell us, please follow up.

 

Will you sign off on my community service hours?

Please track your hours yourself, and let us know in advance that you will need us to sign off on your time sheet. Either the Volunteer Coordinator or the person you are working with directly can sign for you.

 

I need a letter of recommendation?

We would be happy to write you a letter of recommendation, we want you to get the most out of your time at Fairyland. Keep in mind, we will be upfront about the number of hours you have contributed, and the types of activities you have participated in. Please give the Volunteer Coordinator 30 days advance notice, and request a letter by email, including all pertinent addresses and information in your request.

 

Can I bring my dog or BBQ?

Unfortunately, no. Sorry. It would be fun, though.