Here at Canyons School District, our community is rooted in the idea of helping each other. This year alone, more than 8,500 volunteers have lent a hand in classrooms and schools across the District.

In light of International Volunteer Day, the Connect Canyons crew sat down with two of the most generous volunteers in the District: Two Apex Award winners for Volunteer of the Year, Alta View Elementary’s Jessica Davies and Rebecca Martin, a frequent volunteer at Hillcrest High School.

“I just love the fact that I have been surrounded by such amazing people every time I've been in this school” says Davies. “Whether they're the adults at the school or the children or the other volunteers.”

Davies and Martin have donated a combined three decades in volunteer service for Canyons District. They share how they got started volunteering and the rewards they get from working with students and teachers alike. They also share advice for any parents or community members who may be interested in finding ways to support their neighborhood schools.

“It starts out when your children are little and you want to be in their classroom and help them with their math facts or whatever it is,” says Martin. “But as they get older, you realize it's not just your child. There's a whole classroom of children and a whole school of children and a district of children that need someone to advocate for them.”