Volunteers are an important and appreciated part of Hands-on House, a nonprofit organization, helping us fulfill our mission of creating landmark learning experiences for children and families. We have a variety of opportunities available to match your interests and availability for volunteering.

For inquires, please contact Elizabeth Gable at manager@handsonhouse.org

Volunteer opportunities include —

Play Lab volunteer: Facilitate child-directed learning, organize, maintain, and clean materials and classroom space and more!

Summer Camp volunteer: Help staff lead interactive activities, supervise campers, tidy up, and make this summer a memorable one!

Admissions: Welcome, ring-up and interact with visitors, clean and sanitize toys/exhibits, reset toys/exhibits

Occasional Helper: Help with painting, repairs, installing and removing exhibits 

Outdoor Cleanup: Weeding, general cleanup of grounds and parking lot, cleaning of outdoor toys/exhibits, raking leaves

Fish Tank Maintenance: We’ll feed the fish if you can do the rest! Cleaning and maintenance of fish tank.

Class Prep: Cutting, assembling, and preparing items that will be used for classes, take-home kits, and outreach programs 

Clerical: Sending out thank you notes, replying to ticket donation requests and similar tasks 

***Please note: all volunteers 18 and older are required to submit clean FBI background checks and child abuse clearances (paid by the applicant) before being permitted to work. ***

 

Obtain your clearances in 3 easy steps:

1

Child Abuse History Certification
(Act 151)

  • There is no cost for this clearance.

  • Click on this link to get started: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS

  • If you already have a Keystone ID sign-on account already, click on “Individual Login” and then “Access My Clearances”, at the bottom of the page, click “Continue”.  Log into your account.  If you forgot your log in information, you can request it here as well. 

  • If you do not have a Keystone ID, click “Create Individual Account” enter all information. Be sure to write down the User I.D. you create. Once you submit your information, you will receive an email with your temporary password.

  • Sign back on to the website above. Click on “Individual Login” using the temporary password provided. You will be prompted to set a permanent password. It will then prompt you to sign on to your account using your permanent password. You need to keep this Keystone ID (user name you created) and password (permanent password you created) in order to retrieve your results later!

  • When prompted to Begin, click on the “Volunteer having contact with children option”, in the category box that appears select “other”. Type “Hands-on House” in the box that asks for the Agency name.

  • Click “next”, type e-signature.

  • Click NO organization did not give code.

  • Click on “waive application fee and submit application”.

  • You should receive an email from noreply@pa.gov when the clearance is ready.  If 10 days have gone by and you do not receive an email, log back on to your account to get a status or to download and save your results.

2

The Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Record Check
(Act 34)

  • There is no cost for this clearance.

  • Click on this link to get started: https://epatch.state.pa.us/

  • Click on “New Record Check” (Volunteers Only)

  • Enter your information into the form.  For “Volunteer Organization Name”, enter Hands-on House and for “Volunteer Organization Telephone Number”, enter: (717) 569-5437.Click “Next”.

  • On the Personal Information Review page, if everything is correct, click “Proceed”

  • On Record Check Request form, enter your personal information, click “Enter This Request”

  • At this point, it appears that the information you just entered disappears, however, scroll down the page and you will see “View Queued Record Check Request’s (1)”, under that, click on “Finished”

  • On the Record Check Request Review page, click “Submit”

  • Once the system has run your check, you need to click on the “Control Number”

  • On the Record Check Details page, click “Certification Form”

  • You now have your certificate to print to a PDF or print a hard copy

3

FBI Federal Criminal Background Check w/Fingerprint  (Act 114) 

Please note: we have been advised that this clearance may take up to 2-4 months to receive results. Please start the process immediately to guarantee clearance will be processed.

  • There is a $22.60 fee with this clearance.

  • Click on this link to get started:  https://www.identogo.com

  • Click on “Get Fingerprinted” or “Digital Fingerprinting”

  • Select Pennsylvania

  • Click on the “Digital Fingerprinting”

  • Enter Service Code 1KG6ZJ 

  • Click on Schedule or Manage Appointment

  • Enter your personal information

  • When asked, click “NO” for authorization code

  • Print a copy of your pre-enrollment and take your chosen form of I.D. along with you to the location you chose

  • After you have completed the fingerprinting process you will receive an email from nobody@uemail.identogo.com with your payment info and a link you can click on to see your status

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