Parents Resources

Hands On Atlanta, or HOA, is a non-profit organization that helps individuals, families, and corporate and community groups find flexible volunteer opportunities at more than 400 service organizations and schools. Hands On Atlanta volunteers can participate in projects for schools, parks, senior homes, food banks, pet shelters, low-income neighborhoods, and more.

Every month HOA offers a range of service projects appropriate for families with children of all ages. The organization offers monthly orientations and service projects designed specifically for family volunteers. These sessions include an orientation so families can join and continue to volunteer together at Family-Friendly Citizen projects.

Youth Service Advisory Board: Hands On Atlanta enlists youth volunteers to help make community service more appealing and accessible to metro Atlanta
students. Teens in ninth through 12th grades who demonstrate leadership skills and a commitment to service are considered. Contact the agency directly for details.

Youth TeamWorks is a summer group volunteer program open to high school youth ages 14-18. The Youth TeamWorks experience begins with a kick-off event where participants meet their team members and learn about their projects. Teams then participate in four volunteer projects over a period of two weeks. At the end of the program, all the teams gather at a closing project where volunteers get a chance to share service experiences and brainstorm additional steps toward building a better community through service.

Major volunteer events, like Hands on Atlanta Day, bring together thousands of volunteers who converge on the city to tackle pre-selected projects on a single morning. Check our calendar for upcoming events.

Hands On Atlanta, or HOA, is a non-profit organization that helps individuals, families, and corporate and community groups find flexible volunteer opportunities at more than 400 service organizations and schools. Hands On Atlanta volunteers can participate in projects for schools, parks, senior homes, food banks, pet shelters, low-income neighborhoods, and more.

Every month HOA offers a range of service projects appropriate for families with children of all ages. The organization offers monthly orientations and service projects designed specifically for family volunteers. These sessions include an orientation so families can join and continue to volunteer together at Family-Friendly Citizen projects.

Youth Service Advisory Board: Hands On Atlanta enlists youth volunteers to help make community service more appealing and accessible to metro Atlanta
students. Teens in ninth through 12th grades who demonstrate leadership skills and a commitment to service are considered. Contact the agency directly for details.

Youth TeamWorks is a summer group volunteer program open to high school youth ages 14-18. The Youth TeamWorks experience begins with a kick-off event where participants meet their team members and learn about their projects. Teams then participate in four volunteer projects over a period of two weeks. At the end of the program, all the teams gather at a closing project where volunteers get a chance to share service experiences and brainstorm additional steps toward building a better community through service.

Major volunteer events, like Hands on Atlanta Day, bring together thousands of volunteers who converge on the city to tackle pre-selected projects on a single morning. Check our calendar for upcoming events.

The Atlanta Humane Society is a private nonprofit organization acting as a regional center for the needs of animals, pet owners, and the community at large concerning animal welfare issues and problems.

Volunteers must be 16 or older; however, tours of the animal shelter for children ages 5 and up are available for groups of 6 or more (by appointment
only). Tours last about an hour, depending upon the involvement level of the participants. Included in the program are a short video about the AHS; age-appropriate discussions about sheltering, animal welfare and community
involvement; and a walk-through of the animal containment areas of the shelter with a chance to pet animals.

Children 5-16 can collect items from the Shelter's wishlist to donate to help the animals; tours are often scheduled as part of this effort.

The annual art contest for children spreads the message of proper pet care and respect for living things to all youth. The contest is open to students in Kindergarten through eighth grade and attracts thousands of entries each year. The deadline for entries is always March 31. Sixty winning entries are selected (fifteen from each of five grade pairings) to be mounted and displayed in the AHS Kresge Auditorium during the month of May, and some entries are chosen to be hung in the permanent
AHS Art Gallery. Winning artists are invited to a special Awards Ceremony to celebrate their accomplishment.

Imagine That! Science, Technology and Art programs offer hands-on education and science fun for children from 3-14 years old.

One to three hour classes are offered at local schools and and at the Imagine That! Learning Center in Atlanta including beginning to advanced Science and Technology programs in chemistry, paleontology, space, robotics, electricity, structures, and physiology. Programs are age appropriate, fun, and challenging.

Professional artists teach drawing and painting with perspective, composition, and shading, in various art classes.

Birthday Party programs can be brought to your home or held at the learning center. Science themes include Magic, Space Out, Spies and Sleuths, Fossil Making and Dinosaurs, Goo, Gas, and Great Balls of Fire. Art themes include Jewelry Making, Picture Frame Design, Tie-dye, Bird House Painting, Ceramics and T-shirt design.

Science, Technology, and Art camps are offered during winter break and summer vacation, and range from 3-8 hours. Science and Art combination camps are also offered.

Imagine That! programs are recommended for scouts, and science and art fairs. Preschool and homeschool programs are offered as three hour supplemental lessons, one or two days a week, incorporating Science, Art and Computers.

Preschool and homeschool programs are offered as a 3 hour supplemental program, one or two days a week, one hour each of Science, Art and Spanish.

Key Music Center is a music education company that has created an original style of teaching. The instructors aare professional musicians who enjoy teaching and provide interactive, fun lesson plans based on each student's individual goals. Group lessons, day camps, and yearly recitals are offered.

Lingual Kids delivers linguistic fun to a home school, preschool, afterschool program, or playgroup. Entertaining thematic units are presented entirely in Spanish. Lessons use music, movemement, games, and art projects to help children absorb language in an interactive manner. Each age group gets its own curriculum, with two sessions per week recommended to speed learning and maximize retention.

A facility at 997 Windy Hill Road in Marietta is available for small group and tutorial sessions. Call for current pricing.

A four-physician pediatric practice:

Dr. Mark Long
Dr. Briana Brugner
Dr. Mona Megahed
Dr. Karen Thrower

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is the winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best Best Community Service Organization in the Atlanta area. It's also one of the leading pediatric health care systems in the country, is a not-for-profit organization that operates three hospitals and 18 satellite locations, and cares for more than half a million patients annually.

Children's is recognized for excellence in cancer, cardiac, neonatal, orthopaedic and transplant services, as well as many other pediatric specialties. Children's is also ranked as one of the top 10 children's hospitals nationwide by Child magazine and is among US News & World Report's top pediatric hospitals.

Children's offers more than 30 pediatric specialties and has access to more than 1,400 pediatricians. Its facilities have specially designed equipment to fit young and growing bodies and a staff that knows how to treat a sick or injured child. Call 404.250.KIDS to find the right location for your child's needs.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is the winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best Best Community Service Organization in the Atlanta area. It's also one of the leading pediatric health care systems in the country, is a not-for-profit organization