What is a Swing Session?

A K-grams Swing Session is an opportunity for student groups to host "edu-active" (educational and interactive) projects in elementary classrooms. Student groups can design and coordinate a classroom project for K-5 students. Through Swing Sessions, K-grams involves volunteers with many interests from different aspects of the U of M campus, allowing collaboration and interaction on several levels. 

Participating in a Swing Session is simple. Just fill out a preliminary application online! A Student Group Director will contact you immediately to set up an introductory meeting. If you have any questions about this process, please email swingsessions@umich.edu.

Quality Swing Session Activities

Project ideas range from teaching about U of M history to interactive mock elections to writing stories! Student groups may also choose to do a project that incorporates their group's purpose or history. Groups will work with Student Group Directors and Liaisons to create activities that are worthwhile and original, enforcing the importance of quality activities for Swing Sessions. After brainstorming and developing quality booth ideas, groups should choose an idea that they find exciting!

Volunteers

Once a student group signs up for a Swing Session, a contact from the group will meet with a Student Group Director(s) to begin planning the project. Student groups will receive suggestions and guidelines and will select possible times at which the Swing Session may take place. After this initial meeting, the Student Group Director(s) will contact a K-grams teacher who is interested in participating in the Swing Session and will meet to finalize the activity before the project day. While student groups will recruit their own members as volunteers, pen pals, Swing Kids, SPC, and friends may sign up, too! 

Here are a few things that student group volunteers need to know before attending the Swing Session:

Meeting Time and Place: Student group volunteers should meet K-grams volunteers at the Cube at a time designated by the student group Student Group Director(s).

Transportation: Student groups will provide transportation to and from the school. If they are unable to find transportation, they should contact the Student Group Director(s).

Safety: Volunteers help create an atmosphere in which the little kids are safe, comfortable, and encouraged to learn. Please keep in mind the following when working in the classroom:

• Do NOT give elementary school students your email address, home address, or phone number

• Be mindful of your language (i.e. do not mention inappropriate topics or use obscenities)

• If a little kid mentions something that might be a cause for concern, notify the teacher 

• Do NOT bring presents, candy, pictures, etc. unless every student receives the same thing