Together Including Every Student (TIES)

• Participants are students and young adults in the North Tonawanda City School District ages 8 to 22 with developmental disabilities who would like to join activities with the support of their peers.
• Peer Volunteers are students in grades 8-12 who would like to support participants based on their individual needs, interests, and want to make a positive difference in their community.
• Activity leaders are adults in charge of each activity who ensure all individuals are included to help foster community.

For Participants

1. Complete the Participant Application. 
2. The TIES Coordinator will contact the parent/guardian for a short phone interview to learn more about the participants’ needs. 
3. Participants choose activities they would like to participate in with the support of a peer volunteer and share the details with the coordinator. 
4. The coordinator will match the participant with a volunteer and create an Individual Support Plan. This plan helps volunteers and activity leaders provide appropriate support and encourages positive peer interactions. 

For Volunteers

1. Complete a Volunteer Application
2. Attend a 30-minute training, either in person or virtual via Microsoft Teams.
3. The coordinator will contact your references and then you are ready to volunteer!
4. You will be contacted when a participant requests a peer volunteer, and the coordinator will share their Individual Support Plan with you.

Activities

1. If you are a school or community activity leader and would like to add your activity to the list, or if you know about an event that TIES participants might enjoy attending, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to the coordinator to share the details and help us connect participants with more great opportunities. 

No. Participants and peer volunteers must arrange their own transportation to and from activities.

No. Volunteer registration will be waived. 

All activities are existing, structured, and supervised by an Activity Leader. The coordinator connects with the leader and provides them with the participant's support plan. Safety concerns are addressed with families and are included in the Individual Support Plan.

The coordinator conducts a phone interview with the parent/guardian to gather details about the participants' strengths, needs, and helpful strategies. All information is confidential and sensitive information is never shared with volunteers or activity leaders.