Getting Youth Excited about Volunteerism

By: Ivy McConnell
Public Relations Intern at MCCOY, Inc

According to Peter Levine, the director of Tufts University Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, children who volunteer are more successful in school and more likely to graduate from high school and college.

Helping others can have a lasting impact on the life of your life. As volunteers, youth are able to assert their independence and make a real difference in their communities. They learn how to respect people with differences. They become more considerate of others. They develop communication and leadership skills. Youth that volunteers just one hour a week are 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or engage in destructive behavior. They are more likely to do well in school and to graduate.

Parents/Guardians should teach their child that volunteering can help him establish a lifetime of friends, service and civil responsibility. Studies show that youth who volunteer are three times more likely to volunteer as adults. These young volunteers are more likely to vote and be philanthropic when they get older. If the parents are enthusiastic and volunteer with their child they will see the importance and value of giving through service. 

These are some great ways to motivate youth to volunteer:

1. Encourage them to create their own volunteer project

• They can create a name of the project and invite close friends and family join them at a local humane society or food bank. Afterwards they can go out for pizza and talk about their experience.

2. Recommend them to use their talents and work independently 

• If they love sing dance or play instruments, they go to a nursing home or a after-school program to entertain other youth

• They can make blankets and donate it to animal shelter or children hospital

• If they are an artist they can make greeting cards to the troops over seas and ask for a reply or donate their art to a local museum

3. Talk to them after their experience

• Give them words of affirmation

• Ask them detail questions about their experience

• Ask them what else would they like to do

• Suggest them to keep a journal of their experience and read it afterwards

Those are just a few ways to encourage youth to get involve in their communities  People are more willing to volunteer if they are asked. If you or a teacher ask them to be a activist in their communities they are more likely to get involved. 

ASK TODAY!