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As a high school student, you should always be looking for ways to get involved in your local community and the world around you.
After all, performing acts of service can benefit you in a lot of ways. Sure, engaging in volunteer opportunities is a great way for you to give back to your community and positively impact the lives of others — but it’s also a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and see just how interconnected we really are. And when done genuinely, completing service opportunities may help strengthen your college application.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of volunteering and identify some virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities you can participate in today.
Yes, giving back to your community is important for serving the less fortunate, assisting disadvantaged groups, and just making the world a better place. But there are also some more personal reasons volunteering is important.
Engaging in service activities just might help you develop valuable skills that are transferable to the college setting and beyond. For example, by preparing and delivering Meals on Wheels meals every month, you might develop leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills — and you might even gain a new understanding of generational perspectives. Or if you’re fundraising for a local charity, you may develop even more specific skills, like database management.
If these skills fit in with your potential major, your service experience just might show a better fit to the major you’re applying for — and that could potentially give your application an edge.
Service work can also give you a sense of purpose and direction. It can help you identify your passions and interests (maybe you find out you’re great at grant writing or graphic design) and assist you with choosing a college major or career path.
Finally, service work can also potentially help you stand out among applicants. Volunteering demonstrates your commitment to making a positive impact in your community, and admissions officers are certainly looking for well-rounded applicants who have a passion for giving back and making a difference.
But sometimes, it can be hard for busy teens to find flexible opportunities to give back.
Whether you’re looking for virtual volunteering activities or something in-person and hands-on, there are many service opportunities to choose from. Here are 12 great volunteering opportunities for teens that you can get started with right away.
Tip: Pick up a mandala coloring book, color it in, then cut it into 1.5”-wide strips. For extra fun, punch a hole in the top and attach a tassel you can make from yarn scraps. Or find a cute design on Canva, print it on some card stock, and color away!
These are just a few of the many volunteer opportunities available to high school students.
Or consider creating your own volunteer opportunity!
It doesn’t matter what you do — it’s just important to get involved. When you participate in community service activities, you can learn valuable skills, gain a sense of responsibility, and meaningfully impact others’ lives.
It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.