“I believe we are put on this earth to be of service. It’s how I find meaning in my life. And it’s FUN!” ~ Dana Delaney
Volunteering and community service sometimes gets a bad wrap with younger people. They might associate it with punishment or free manual labor and not the privilege that it truly is.
Once students are given the opportunity to engage in true, selfless service, attitudes immediately change. And when service is done right, service is fun.
During the pre-teen and teenage years it can be hard for students to find enough time and sometimes enough desire to prioritize volunteering.
The Department of Labor states that 27 percent of teenagers are active volunteers.
The University of Alabama’s Courtney Chapman Thomas offers some insight into why pre-teens and teenagers should volunteer, as well as some suggestions for how to volunteer.
- Students who make the time to volunteer usually develop a spark that lights their passions and keeps them wanting to volunteer. Volunteering allows students the opportunity to step outside of themselves, which opens up a whole new world for them. They may see social issues for the first time, or they may realize inequity for the first time. These are hard topics to tackle at this age, but this helps them develop critical thinking skills, which will benefit them as they approach taking tests like the SAT and ACT.
- Volunteering not only develops critical thinking skills that help students do well on standardized tests, it also opens the door for financial support. Many corporations and foundations have scholarships available to students who have been committed to volunteerism during their time as pre-teens and teens. These scholarships range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. This is a valuable resource to reward students who have truly committed to work outside of themselves. A few entities that give out these type of scholarships are Kohls Kids Who Care Program, DoSomething.org, National Caring Awards, Bonner Scholars Award and Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Programs, just to name a few.
- Teens have obtained a great deal of knowledge by this point in life, especially surrounding culturally relevant topics, such as technology, language and athletics. This opens up opportunities for teens to volunteer and be experts in teaching English Second Language classes, helping teach computer skills to the elderly or disenfranchised or coach a sport team for the local YMCA.
An easy way for teens to start out volunteering is at a one-time event. This gets their feet wet and exposes them to the joy that volunteering can bring. Some of these events are local Arbor Days, Relay For Life or community clean up days. Always check the age requirements; some nonprofits and organizations will not allow younger students to volunteer because of liability issues.
Here are a few suggestions for volunteer opportunities. For more, check out websites like www.teenlife.com or your local United Way’s website.
- Clean out your closet, and donate the clothes you have outgrown to a local nonprofit. In addition, ask if you could help by sorting the donations. Organizations that will allow this are Goodwill and Temporary Emergency Services.
- Volunteer for a neighbor. If you have a neighbor who is homebound or elderly, offer to do their yard work. This is an easy way to give back to someone you know.
- Volunteer as a tutor at a local library or education enhancement center for underprivileged youth. This not only enhances the education of others, but helps you refine your skills for learning and teaching.
- Volunteer as an ESL tutor. Many local community centers are in need of assistance helping non-English speakers learn.
- Volunteer to be a reading buddy. This not only helps younger children learn to read better, but it also builds self-esteem in these children. Also, children who have someone volunteer to work with them during their younger years are more likely to volunteer themselves.
- Volunteer to coach a sport. Local YMCA’s are always looking for volunteers to help coach their younger children’s sports.
Thomas is the director of community service at UA’s Center for Sustainable Service & Volunteerism.