Volunteer Opportunities at Kindling Minds
Kindling Minds is Looking for Volunteers to Help Teens and Pre-Teens in Central Indiana Build Resilience and Thrive.
We offer three meaningful ways to get involved, and we’d love for you to consider giving your time to one—or even all—of them.
PAWS Team
Registered Handler/Dog Team
About PAWS Team Volunteering
Registered Handler/Dog Team
What You’ll Do
You and your dog will be able to support youth mental wellness through visits to our school and community partners. You know the joy, comfort, and peace you get from your dog? You’ll be able to share that with middle and high school students, teachers, staff, and families.
Qualifications
The human half of the team must:
Be 16+ years old (anyone under 18 years old needs permission from a parent or guardian).
Pass a criminal background check (for 18+ volunteers).
Be willing and able to positively engage with youth, educators, and the community.
Be able to guide interactions with students calmly, compassionately, and professionally.
Be able to read your dog’s body language, advocate for them, and facilitate positive interactions.
Commit to all program policies and guidelines.
Participate in continuous training provided by Kindling Minds.
The four-legged friend must:
Be at least 1 year old (average dog is ready closer to 2 years old).
Have lived with the handler for at least 6 months.
Be friendly and approachable.
Not have a history of aggression or causing serious injury to dogs or people.
Demonstrate basic obedience: walks with a loose leash, reliably responds to commands such as “sit,” “stay,” “come,” and “leave it.”
Be reliably house-trained.
Be up-to-date on all vaccines.
Volunteer Expectations
Our PAWS Wellness Support Program relies on well-prepared volunteer teams to provide safe, positive experiences for the youth we serve. To ensure quality and readiness, we ask each handler-dog team to meet the following requirements:
Successfully complete the PAWS Team evaluation, which assesses basic obedience, social interactions, temperament, and readiness for onsite visits.
Complete a re-evaluation every two years to maintain active status.
Submit updated health and vaccination records annually for your dog.
Participate in mandatory training workshops (held once or twice per year).
Commit to an average of two onsite visits per month.*
*We understand that life, travel, and seasons can affect availability. While we ask teams to aim for an average of two visits per month, what matters most is a general commitment to stay engaged and involved.
How to Apply to Be a PAWS Team Volunteer
To become an approved PAWS Team Volunteer, you’ll complete the steps below, starting with our inquiry form. After this is complete, you’ll be invited to continue on with the following steps!
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Complete this form, and someone from Kindling Minds will email you within 48 hours to schedule a 20-minute phone call. This call is an initial screening where we find out more about you and answer any questions you have about volunteering with Kindling Minds.
We also offer a free, informal assessment with one of our PAWS program evaluators to see if you and your dog are a good fit for our program.
After the initial phone call, if it seems like a mutually good fit, we’ll invite you to move forward with the next steps in the volunteer registration process (Steps 2–5).
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To complete the online volunteer background check, please click the button below. The background check costs $20 and can be paid online using the link provided. We require this check for all volunteers aged 18 and older to ensure a safe environment at all partner locations.
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Complete the Kindling Minds volunteer agreement, which outlines our policies, procedures, and standards of conduct. Then pay a one-time registration fee of $100 to cover essential equipment costs (handler badge and dog vest) and evaluation fees. Additional expenses, including insurance, staff time, and volunteer support, are funded by our generous donors and corporate partners.
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There are two steps to complete your dog’s health screening:
Vet Form
Share the Dog Health Screening Formwith your veterinarian. It’s available as an electronic form, or you can download a printable PDF to bring to your appointment.Vaccination Records
Request a copy of your dog’s most recent vaccination and health records from your vet and submit them to info@kindlingminds.org
Kindling Minds specifically requires the following documentation:
Vaccinations: Rabies, DHPP, Leptospirosis, Bordetella (A letter from your veterinarian is requested for any vaccine exemptions)
Health Records: Negative Fecal Exam, Negative Heartworm Test
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Once your background check has been completed and we have received all the required forms, a member of the Kindling Minds team will be in touch to arrange your evaluation with an AKC-approved CGC evaluator. If you have any questions, drop us an email at info@kindlingminds.org
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Once you’re approved as a volunteer, we’ll guide you through a few final steps to get you fully onboarded and ready to serve:
Onboarding Call: You’ll schedule a call with a member of the Kindling Minds team, who will walk you through expectations, show you how to sign up for shifts, and review training materials.
Shadow Visit & Support Sessions: You’ll be invited to attend a shadow visit to observe how our sessions run, followed by a couple of support visits alongside an experienced PAWS Team member.
Start Volunteering: After your shadowing, you’re ready to go! We ask volunteers to commit to an average of two sessions per month.
PAWS Buddy
Support Volunteer
About PAWS Buddy Volunteering
Support Volunteer
What You’ll Do
This role is perfect if you’re passionate about youth mental wellness and the power of the human-dog connection, but don’t have a registered support dog. PAWS Buddies help with student engagement, logistics, and overall visit coordination – helping handler/dog teams deliver impactful, therapeutic interactions.
Qualifications
You must:
Be 16+ years old (anyone under 18 years old needs permission from a parent or guardian).
Pass a criminal background check (for 18+ volunteers).
Be willing and able to positively engage with youth, educators, and the community.
Be able to guide interactions with students calmly, compassionately, and professionally.
Commit to all program policies and guidelines.
Be passionate about supporting youth mental wellness through human-animal interaction.
Volunteer Expectations
We require:
Participation in mandatory training workshops once or twice a year.
An average of two onsite visits per month.
How to Apply to Be a PAWS Buddy Volunteer
To become an approved PAWS Team Volunteer, you’ll complete the steps below, starting with our inquiry form. After this is complete, you’ll be invited to continue on with the following steps!
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Complete this form, and someone from Kindling Minds will email you within 48 hours to schedule a 20-minute phone call. This call is an initial screening where we find out more about you and answer any questions you have about volunteering with Kindling Minds.
After the initial phone call, if it seems like a mutually good fit, we’ll invite you to move forward with the next steps in the volunteer registration process.
-
To complete the online volunteer background check, please click the button below. The background check costs $20 and can be paid online using the link provided. We require this check for all volunteers aged 18 and older to ensure a safe environment at all partner locations.
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Complete the Kindling Minds volunteer agreement, which outlines our policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.
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Once you’re approved as a volunteer, we’ll guide you through a few final steps to get you fully onboarded and ready to serve:
Onboarding Call: You’ll schedule a call with a member of the Kindling Minds team, who will walk you through expectations, show you how to sign up for shifts, and review training materials.
Shadow Visit & Support Sessions: You’ll be invited to attend a shadow visit to observe how our sessions run, followed by a couple of support visits alongside an experienced PAWS Team member.
Start Volunteering: After your shadowing, you’re ready to go! We ask volunteers to commit to an average of two sessions per month.
Event Volunteer
Event Volunteering
If you’re passionate about youth mental wellness, enjoy event planning, and want to make a meaningful difference for young people in our community, we’d love you to consider joining us as an event volunteer.
One of our biggest annual events is Wags for Wellness, where we get to celebrate the impact we’ve made and look forward to what’s next. This night is crucial for building awareness and securing funding to continue our work. We’d love your support to make this event and many others possible. Learn more about our events here.
How to Apply to Be an Event Volunteer
To become an approved PAWS Team Volunteer, you’ll complete the steps below, starting with our inquiry form. After this is complete, you’ll be invited to continue on with the following steps!
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Let us know you're interested by completing the short form.
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A member of the Kindling Minds will follow up by phone or email to share upcoming opportunities and learn how you’d like to support us.
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Based on your interests and availability, we’ll plug you into upcoming events where your help can make an impact.
Volunteering FAQs
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We’re so excited that you’re considering being a part of Kindling Minds’ volunteer team! We couldn't do it without you.
Learn more about each volunteer-type’s onboarding process:
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We ask that you:
Are over the age of 16
Pass a criminal background check
Are passionate about youth mental wellness and animal-assisted interventions
Be willing and able to positively engage with youth, educators and, the community.
Be able to guide interactions with students calmly, compassionately, and professionally.
Able to commit to an average of two visits per month
Are able to pass the dog and handler evaluation
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We’ll schedule a meeting with one of our AKC-approved CGC evaluators at a public location, usually a park or a dog-friendly store. During the evaluation, we’ll test your dog's basic obedience, social interactions, overall temperament, and readiness for onsite visits.
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We ask that you commit to an average of two sessions a month.
*We understand that life, travel, and seasons can affect availability. While we ask teams to aim for an average of two visits per month, what matters most is a general commitment to stay engaged and involved.
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No! If you don’t have a dog, you can apply to be a PAWS Buddy or Event Volunteer.
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Absolutely. We know how important volunteering is and the difference it makes in our community. We don’t want to limit your ability to volunteer with other organizations.
Kindling Minds Training Partners
Hear From Our Volunteers
“Our wellness support dogs give comfort but they are also ice-breakers. Sometimes what we need is a way to bridge between young people and the adults who need to connect in order to help. When you find yourself sitting with a group of kids around your wellness support dog chatting about how both people and dogs have different personalities that make them good at different things you know you are starting to connect."
- Liz, PAWS Team Volunteer
“The faculty warmly welcomed Murph into their classroom, especially after a recent soft lockdown drill at the school. They shared how he brought much-needed joy and love, while Murph eagerly sought out the teens, giving pets and handshakes to those who needed attention the most.”
- Kristen, PAWS Team Volunteer
Want to Find Out More About Volunteering Opportunities?
PAWS Team Portal
As a member of the PAWS Wellness Support Dog Team, you have many ways to connect and help teens out and about with your dogs at our partner schools. Each session offers the opportunity to make your own contribution and make the life of a teenager brighter and happier. We are so grateful for your commitment to The Chris Center's mission.
Volunteer Schedule
Sign up for volunteer opportunities via Bloomerang
Log Hours
Please fill out a PAWS Wellness Support Dog Team log form after each scheduled visit.
Program Incident Form
Please complete this form as soon as possible after any incident or safety concern during a PAWS visit.