Get Started

Whether you're looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity or hoping to help bring GrandPals to your community, we’re glad you’re here.

You don’t need to be a retired teacher or have a storytelling background to be a great GrandPal. If you enjoy conversation, care about the next generation, and are willing to share from your own life, you have everything you need to get started.

Volunteer as a GrandPal

As a GrandPal, you’ll be paired with a small group of students in a local classroom for weekly conversations, typically held over 8 to 10 sessions. You’ll reflect on life experiences, explore meaningful themes, and help students prepare stories based on what they learn from you.

We’ll support you with orientation, conversation guides, and reminders to make it easy and enjoyable.

Don’t See a Program Near You?

If we don’t currently have an active GrandPals program in your area, we can place you on our waitlist. But we also encourage you to take the next step.

Communities launch programs when there are enough interested volunteers, a willing school partner, and sometimes a little startup funding.

Here's what you can do:

• Spread the word: Invite others in your network to express interest. We need a core group of volunteers to get started.
• Talk to a local organization: Know a charity, library, or service club that might want to coordinate a program? Encourage them to explore it with us.
• Help find a sponsor: Startup funding can be the key to launching a new site. Sponsors often include service clubs, local businesses, or individuals who believe in intergenerational connection.

We’ll support you with printable cards, sample emails, and other simple tools to get the conversation started.