Volunteer Resources

• Khan Academy – Educational activities, step-by-step videos, and practice tests for STEM students grades K-12
• KidSites – Links to fun, educational websites for grades K-5 K, child development resources for parents, and curriculum materials for teachers.
• Homework Spot – Free homework information portal that features the very best K-12 homework-related sites together with engaging editorial in one high-utility, educational spot.
• Student Guide – Collection of resources and activities for K-12 students, including articles on hundreds of student-related topics to help them improve their study habits, writing skills, organizational skills, and analytical skills.
• Discovery Education – Free, award-winning K-12 digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and professional learning community.
• Teacher Vision – Free worksheets, graphic organizers, assessment forms, quizzes, games, activities, classroom management tools, lesson plans, bulletin board ideas, whiteboard-compatible digital books, and hundreds of supplementary videos.
• MENTOR: Goal Setting and Support – Guide to Goal Setting, positive-talk, and tracking milestones.
• National Science Foundation — Science-related educational opportunities.
• PBS Learning Media — All subject support.
• cK-12 — Homework Help (Available in Multiple Languages).
• FunBrain— Learning through games (Pre-K-8th).
• BrainPop — Educational movies, quizzes, and games (K-8th).
• EdPuzzle — Interactive videolessons.
• Teachers Pay Teachers — Digitable and Printable worksheets and activities (some cost money).
• StudyKit — Online Study Plans.
• SparkNotes — Study Guides and Practice Plans.
• Study.com — Online courses and practice problems.
• Typing.com — Online Typing pratice.
• WolframAlpha — Example problems for all subjects.
• FreeRice — Vocabulary Games.
• Google Classroom — Google Classroom Guardian Summary allows guardians of students to receive email summaries of the student’s work/updates through Google Classroom.
• Education.com — Worksheets, hands-on activities, puzzles, games, and more (Prek-8th)

Math Support:

• A+ Math – Free math worksheets, games, flashcards, interactive activities, and “Homework Helper” for grades K-5.
• IXL Math – Questions, activities, and real-world scenarios for math students in grades Pre-K to 12.
• Math on Video – Instructional math videos featuring a variety of teachers explaining the same lesson in different ways.
• Math Portal – Lessons, formulas, online calculators and homework help for high school and college math students.
• Math Planet – Comprehensive math courses in Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry. Also includes prepared practice tests for the SAT and ACT.
• KutaSoftware – Customizable math worksheets.
• MathMedic – High School level math lesson plans/support.
• Desmos – Graphing Calculator and Geometry tool.

Literacy/ELA Support:

• Really Good Stuff – Designed for elementary age students, these reading sites are both free and kid-friendly.
• Book Adventure – Online collection of books for grades K-8. Includes easy search engine, offline use, and reading quizzes, and prizes.
• AdLit — All about Adolescent Literature.
• K-12 Interactive Reading – Links to free interactive reading sites and English Language Arts resources for grades K-12.

Language Support:

• Lingodeer — Language Learner tool.
• Duolingo — Language Learner tool with accompanying app.

Standardized Test Prep:

• MCAS Prep and Past MCAS Questions — Grades 3-12th; Math, ELA, Science, Civics.
• SAT Question of the Day — Daily SAT Prep.
• Kaplan — Daily SAT Prep.
• Collegeboard SAT Suite — SAT Study Guides; Practice Tests; Practice Problems
• Newsela — Reading Comp. Practice.
• Commonlit — Reading Comp. Practice.

Post-Graduation Prep:

• ASVAB — Career Exploration Resources.
• Collegewise — College Application Resources.

Interactive/Collaborative Tools:

• Miro — Interactive/Collaborative White Board.
• Figjam — Interactive/Collaborative White Board.
• LucidSpark — Interactive/Collaborative White Board.
• Math Whiteboard — Interactive/Collaborative White Board for Math.
• Padlet— Interactive/Collaborative Bulletin Board.
• Pear Decks— Interactive/Collaborative Slideshows.
• Kami— PDF Editor/Annotator.
• LightPDF— PDF Editor/Annotator.
• XODO— PDF Editor/Annotator.
• Omnisets— Online Flashcards.
• BrainScape— Online Flashcards.
• Quizlet— Online Flashcards.

• Introduction to Mentoring Toolkit for Mentors
• Independent Learning Support First Day Checklist for Mentors
• Mentors Working with Families: Beginning of Match
• Mentors Working with Families: Throughout the Match 
• Match Closure Presentation 

Our comprehensive guide to becoming a mentor through all of our core programs. Each handbook includes information about your role as a mentor, tips for working with students, academic resources, and practice scenarios.

• Accelerate Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming an Accelerate mentor to students in grades K-8.
• Aim High Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming an Aim High mentor to students in grades 9-12.
• Independent Learning Support Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming a remote mentor to students through our online ILS program.
• Motivate Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming a Motivate mentor and supporting a whole class of students.
• ILS Troubleshooting Guide – Please check this document for help with technical issues.
• Whistleblower Policy – Please review this document to learn about our whistleblower policy.

In the summer of 2025, we took on the challenge of creating new values, with the goal of reaffirming our original values in a rapidly changing world. We have been a partner to the Boston Public Schools since the 1960s, and the core of our work has always remained: BPIE is here for all students and community members, no matter what. Check out these resources to learn more about how you can directly engage in learning through the BPIE values (please note that these resources are adult only resources and are not aimed at student audiences).

BPIE Values: 

We believe in the promise of public education.
The students are there – and we’re there for them.
We welcome everyone.
We know academic and social-emotional success go hand in hand.
We connect the community to the classroom.

1. Learning in a Burning House by Sonya Douglass Horsford

2. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? By Beverly Daniel Tatum

3. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

4. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

5. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

6. Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas

7. We Want to do More Than Survive by Dr. Bettina Love

8. The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House by Audre Lorde

Consider checking out these books at your local library or a locally owned bookstore near you.

1. Nice White Parents from New York Times

2. Last Night at School Committee from the Shah Foundation 

3. (Dis)Integration from Boston University Podcasting 

4. Why Mass. educators see promise in ‘high dosage tutoring’ for students from WBUR 

5. Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong from APMReports

1. When They See Us, Netflix Limited Series 

2. Most Likely to Succeed, Free Documentary 

3. Abbott Elementary, ABC TV Series 

• Data and Media Release Form (English) PDF
• Data and Media Release Form (Spanish) PDF
• Data and Media Release Form (Haitian Creole) PDF
• Data and Media Release Form Guide

• Match Closure Postcard Template
• Match Closure Postcard Instructions
• Match Closure Reflection Activity
• Summer Opportunities List (Summer 2025)
• Scenarios and Recommendations
• Match Closure Mentor Development Session 2025

• Mentor/Mentee Activity Guide – A compilation of virtual activities for mentor/mentee matches, suggested by AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring.
• Understood – Social Emotional Learning: What to know.
• Edutopia – Supporting identities and experiences: Creating an identity-safe classroom.
• MENTOR – Trauma informed mentoring: Supporting youth in the wake of trauma.
• Becoming a Better Mentor – Strategies to Be There for Young People from MENTOR.
• Casel – Learn how to apply evidence-based SEL strategies to your mentoring.
• Centervention – 95 SEL Activities to do with your student(s). 
• Kids in Transition – Educational Wellness Activities to do with your student(s).
• SEL Resource Library – While aimed for teachers, examine through a mentoring lens.
• How We Feel App – How We Feel is a free journal for your well-being created by scientists, designers, engineers, and psychologists. Over time, you will learn precise words to describe how you feel, spot trends and patterns, and practice simple strategies to regulate your emotions in healthy ways.
• Emotion Wheel – A visual representation of various emotions organized in a circular, wheel-like format. The wheel divides emotions into different primary categories and then further breaks them into more nuanced emotional states.
• Youth Empowerment in Schools and Systems (YESS) lab Training Videos – Includes videos on goal-setting, righting reflex, change talk, and more. 
• YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN SCHOOLS AND SYSTEMS (YESS) LAB Mentor-Mentee Workbook 

• Direct Stipend for Youth with Special Needs – Access to stipends for youth with special needs that can help support with personal care attendants (PCAs), job coach​es, cooking classes, transportation, and gym membership​s, provided by Federation for Children with Special Needs. 
• Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance – Elevates student and parent voices on racial equity issues including but not limited to public higher education, high-stakes testing, school discipline policy/school policing, state takeover, inclusive ethnic studies curriculum, workers and civil rights, and the rights of all stakeholders.
• BTU Homework Help – BTU offers one-on-one homework help from BPS teachers at various Boston Public Libraries.
• Boston Public Library’s Stream and Download – Explore streaming media, films, tv, magazines, newspapers, classes, and events all for free with a BPL card. 
• Boston Public Library Mental Health Resources – On this regularly updated page you’ll find a curated selection of tools to help you on your wellness journey.