School Technology Specialist Selects SignUpGenius.com as Her Volunteer Hotspot

Robin Smith, an Educational Technology Specialist in the Hollidaysburg, PA school district, loves introducing staff and parents to SignUpGenius.com. “Let’s face it,” she says, “we are all busy and juggling a number of things at once. SignUpGenius takes one of the balls out of the mix and makes the juggling act a lot easier.”

Before discovering SignUpGenius.com on a Free Technology for Teachers web page, Smith and her co-workers organized school events by calling and emailing potential volunteers. Says Smith, “In the past, an organizer would send out an email asking for help at an event. It would take a couple days for people to get back, and then there would often be messages without the (volunteer) time or necessary info, or everyone would sign up for the same time slot or item to bring. The organizer would have to send another email or call all the people and change things. It was confusing for the volunteers and confusing for the organizer.” Saying goodbye to all of that confusion and the time consuming process of organizing volunteers has been amazing for this busy technology specialist….so amazing that she has recommended SignUpGenius.com to her colleagues throughout the Hollidaysburg Area School District. 

Smith continues to find new uses for the site. In her job, she utilizes SignUpGenius to coordinate technology training sessions for her colleagues, but she’s also found applications for the site as a busy mom. Being able to coordinate snacks and a banquet for her fourteen-year-old son’s extra-curricular activities, have been added bonuses.

But Smith’s praise for the site doesn’t stop there. Beyond the ease of coordinating volunteers, she also loves the variety of templates available for sign ups. She appreciates that the themes and colors match the activities, so that even the process of signing up to volunteer is more enjoyable. Being able to log in at anytime and see when everyone is serving and what they are bringing is a huge benefit to Smith, and she’s found that she isn’t the only one who loves SignUpGenius.com. “Users like being able to see what others signed up for,” she explains. “They like seeing that 'Jane' is working from 10 – 12 and they enjoy working with her, so they sign up then as well. Or that 4 people are already bringing dessert so they need to bring something else.”

Still, one might wonder if it’s only tech savvy educators like Smith who go crazy for a site like SignUpGenius.com. She’s the first to say that’s not the case. “Don’t be afraid to use it because it is new or technology. It is super simple and you can’t break it. Your group members will think you are the genius for finding this and setting it up.”

So what are you waiting for? Check out a sample sign up or two and get started using SignUpGenius.com today. You’re too busy not to be a sign up genius!

Posted by Angel Rutledge