Volunteer Opportunities For High School Students In The US
One of the best ways to gain experience and knowledge around you is through volunteering. It opens up the doors for people and adolescents to have an in-depth understanding of how non-profitable organizations work as well as have a positive impact on society. Volunteering is an excellent opportunity for young adults to gain technical skills, develop cognitive interactions and learn time management. Generations need to be exposed to humanitarian services and bring about good changes and improvements in society, and one of the best ways to approach this issue is via volunteering services.
Volunteers have a significant influence on communities across the world. The Corporation of National Community services states that about 25% of the adult population contributed to such services worth $193 billion (2016). This article will focus on the various volunteer opportunities for high school students in the USA.
Benefits of Volunteering
1. Good for mental health
A study involving 4,000 volunteering students from five countries found that youth who volunteered had a high satisfaction rate among volunteering students in five different countries. The act itself brings about a feeling of having given back to the society you belong to, especially if the students are passionate about the cause you are volunteering for. This promotes a healthy mind.
2. Increases social skills and connections
Students get exposure to the outside world at a relatively younger age. Interaction with various kinds of people inadvertently enhances their social skills. Volunteering in groups and working as teams aid in developing strong bonds and connections for the present or future. They get shaped well enough to be confident enough to live their lives independently.
3. Profile building and gaining professional experience
Surveys have shown that a student's commitment to a cause or an organization is a beneficial factor when it comes to college admissions in the future. Such an experience is a vital aspect in addition to the unselfishness required to work as a volunteer. They can also gain a multitude of experience in the field they are volunteering in, and if they happen to pursue a career in that direction, it can only be fruitful for them.
4. Finding yourself
Volunteer opportunities for high school students can help students find something they are not looking for in the process. They can choose the right career path or determine the last thing they would want to pursue. Either way, it is only going to make them more sure about the things they want in life.
5. Making a difference
Being even the smallest unit of something big is vital. The feeling of being able to make a difference instills loads of confidence in students that age. A confident human being is a successful human being. Ultimately, volunteering is about upskilling yourself and learning about crucial life elements.
Where can you find volunteering opportunities?
Finding volunteer opportunities for high school students is not as difficult as it sounds to be. A lot of independent organizations like disaster relief services, pet care foundations, libraries, and clubs, provide such services for high schoolers. Here we have listed a few ways to find yourself some volunteering services to apply to as high school students:
1. School organizations
The easiest way to find volunteering possibilities is through your school. Significant opportunities include clubs, libraries, event management, survey collection, academic counseling, and website creation. About 46,000 schools and colleges provide volunteering programs like Rotaract, which has become one of the most popular clubs to aid students in finding community services and work.
2. Local organizations, NPOs, and NGOs
There are plenty of local and non-profitable organizations which require volunteering as a crucial part of their working and operations. Such organizations provide aid to those in need, including refugee handling, pet care, vaccine drives, blood donations, awareness campaigns, neutering, and free education.
3. Online forums
The internet has become a significant house for various scopes in volunteering with digital advancements. The web opens multiple doors for students to find a suitable program. The plus point of finding an online volunteering program is that you can work on such projects right from home. With an online curriculum, students can learn to focus on their studies and also manage their work simultaneously.
Volunteering opportunities for high school students in the USA
There are plenty of resources available for high school students to opt for as a part of their volunteering program. A few popular ones are listed below for a brief idea:
1. The Salvation Army
This charitable organization mingles peace and religion together to bring about changes and preach the gospel. Spread across 134 countries with headquarters in the USA, it is one of the most popular organizations giving out volunteering programs to students and young adults striving for the betterment of society. Salvation Army hosts charity and thrift shops where they sell second-hand clothes at a meager cost for those in need. They also provide summer camps, hostels, day-care centers, and after-school programs for students, which is a benefactor for personality development and EQ.
2. International Volunteer HQ
One of the leading volunteer opportunities for high school students is through International Volunteer HQ, which provides programs in skill development at as low as $180. Volunteer HQ makes sure to assign students to local projects for easier access and sustainable work over a period of time. They aim to introduce students to a broad range of skillset, for example, teaching, medical, wildlife care, environmental protection, arts, craft, and many more. International Volunteer HQ aims to provide safe and affordable volunteering services to bring a positive change and betterment to society and the people devoting their time and attention to such services for humanity.
3. Vision service adventures
Vision service adventures aim to promote stepping out of ourselves and discovering new perspectives in life to have a positive mindset and outlook. Engaging teenagers and students in various campaigns and summer programs, the determination of this service group comes with a commitment to the betterment of society. The volunteering service offers multiple summer programs for high school students across various places like the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic with different hours of service and tuition fees. This helps to promote a healthy outlook for high school students and discover themselves in the process of helping the community and engaging in activities to improve livelihood.
4. Rotaract Club
The best place to find community services and volunteering opportunities is none other than the Rotaract Club itself. One can find such clubs present in almost every college and school to be an integral part of the system that believes in bringing positive changes to the society and helping the ones in need improve living conditions and reduce mortality rates. They aim to make leaders out of the coming generation of youth and help them learn the benefits of community services.
Rotaract club offers various programs for high school students ranging from interactive clubs to developing leadership skills; RYLA allows students to learn and build new skill sets, confidence, and self-esteem; and exchange programs for those travelers keen to learn about a new region and language. High school students are taught the importance of peace, provision of hygiene and sanitation, environmental care, women and children protection, and the right to education via Rotaract club programs.
Conclusion
A high school is a place where teenagers are on the path of self-discovery and figuring out their future. At such an age, exposure to volunteering and community services would benefit their overall development and be a great aid in modifying and bringing positive changes to society. Volunteering in the USA is also a great way of getting to know how different ethnic races function and their customs and understand the pros and cons of each. With various programs available via many organizations, volunteering opportunities for high school students in the USA are extensive and essential to develop a sound generation of adults to lead the nation's future. Visit educationalcraft.com for more information on volunteering and other academic and educational information and resources.