<p>My two boys have been volunteering at an animal rescue (breed specific) for years. My older son first started in sixth grade and his younger brother in fifth. They get excited every time they go. They never know what jobs will be in store for them when they arrive. (except cleaning the yard is always a given) This has been the most valuable experience for both of them. They have learned to be kind and gentle with the older dogs and always give them the bulk of their attention. They are saddened when they see that time after time the older ones are still at the kennel while the young dogs are quickly snatched up. They both have truly heart warming stories about individual dogs who have shown their appreciation in various ways. Both my boys say they want to continue to volunteer there whenever they have the time. They work really hard when they volunteer but nothing can replace the sense of accomplishment they get from their involvement.</p>
<p>My son volunteered at the computer lab at the senior center. Some days it was teaching them to double click some days it was more interesting. He also wrote a program to help them with some scheduling issues for picking up seniors. He actually seemed to enjoy it and the seniors apparently really liked him.</p>
<p>My most meaningful community service story is probably my wife’s. When she was in high school, she did a lot of volunteer work at two residential schools for autistic children – one near her home, and one about twenty miles from her family’s summer home. Mostly, it was just playing with kids, and helping them one-on-one. An interest in developmental psychology grew out of that, and a psychology major in college. She changed directions somewhat in college (in part based on volunteer work with pregnant teens), and a lot of her early career was built around health issues for poor women. But ten or twelve years later she began to get involved in issues around early childhood education (including financing it for poor families), and she has done quite a bit of world-changing work in that area since then, in a whole bunch of different capacities. Her whole career – entirely in the nonprofit and government sectors – grew fairly organically out of her community service work in high school and college.</p>
<p>D spent the summer after 8th grade as a volunteer in Child’s Life at the local public hospital. (I vividly remember her weeping all the way home one day because she held & comforted a terminally ill 3 month old for most of an afternoon and swearing she was never going to become a doctor. Still feels that way too.) </p>
<p>In high school the 3 most life-impacting experiences for her have been:
- “Big Sister” through the Big Sisters-Little Sisters onsite program. (You can volunteer for the onsite program starting at 15.) She’s worked with same girl for 3 years now–and has had to deal w/ issues she never ever dreamed up–like how to report suspected sexual abuse of a child.
- Assistant coach for Special Olympics (she coaches adult co-ed volleyball that practices at a local high school–again you can volunteer at 15) D’s also in her 3rd year at this. At one time or another she’s been proposed to by nearly ever male on the team. At first it disconcerted her a great deal, but now she understands it’s just because she always comes to practice (most volunteers quit after a week or two) and she takes the time to talk to them and listen. Not sure this has taught her any great skills, but it has reinforced her basically kind nature.
- several local environmental improvement programs (she now co-manages one of them–organizes volunteers, does fund-raising and handles some of the legal stuff like liability releases for volunteers) 4th year at this. Taught her lots of skills like how to make phone contacts and how to ask for money, how to organize meetings, set timetable and agendas. Great practical stuff.</p>
<p>And her volunteer job as a docent at a local children’s museum led to her getting a paying job at the same museum this past fall.</p>
<p>Double post!</p>
<p>D spent the summer after 8th grade as a volunteer in Child’s Life at the local public hospital. (I vividly remember her weeping all the way home one day because she held & comforted a terminally ill 3 month old for most of an afternoon and swearing she was never going to become a doctor. Still feels that way too.) </p>
<p>In high school the 3 most life-impacting experiences for her have been:
- “Big Sister” through the Big Sisters-Little Sisters onsite program. (You can volunteer for the onsite program starting at 15.) She’s worked with same girl for 3 years now–and has had to deal w/ issues she never ever dreamed up–like how to report suspected sexual abuse of a child.
- Assistant coach for Special Olympics (she coaches adult co-ed volleyball that practices at a local high school–again you can volunteer at 15) D’s also in her 3rd year at this. At one time or another she’s been proposed to by nearly ever male on the team. At first it disconcerted her a great deal, but now she understands it’s just because she always comes to practice (most volunteers quit after a week or two) and she takes the time to talk to them and listen. Not sure this has taught her any great skills, but it has reinforced her basically kind nature.
- several local environmental improvement programs (she now co-manages one of them–organizes volunteers, does fund-raising and handles some of the legal stuff like liability releases for volunteers) Taught her lots of skills like how to make phone contacts and how to ask for money, how to organize meetings, set timetable and agendas. Great practical stuff.</p>
<p>And her volunteer job as a docent at a local children’s museum led to her getting a paying job at the same museum this fall.</p>
<p>Back in the day I used to volunteer at a local pet shelter. I would usually walk some of the uglier dogs because I knew that they were less likely to get adopted and I just wanted to bring them some joy, if just for ten minutes, before they were put to sleep. When I get some more free time, I’ll probably volunteer there again.</p>
<p>DD has played her violin (with an ensemble organized by her teacher) several times at a VA Hospital.</p>
<p>hi hi,
I’m a senior in high school.
Those of you that say “kids only do cs because they are required to and it looks good on college apps” aren’t being fair.
Many kids like myself actually love cs for the sake of doing it. I happen to think it’s fun.
Please don’t generalize like that.</p>
<p>DS volunteered hundreds of hours of time as a lighting technician for a non-profit civic theater group. He hung, designed, and ran lights for them off and on for several years beginning when he was about 14. We had a friend who was the master electrician for the group…DS showed an interest (and skill) and they were always looking for volunteers.</p>
<p>My D did a lot of community service, but there were 2 in particular that were very meaningful to her:</p>
<p>Youthworks — D spent time in urban areas each summer doing hands-on work in the community. Benton Harbor, MI is a very poor area in western MI. D really enjoyed working with the kids’ daycamp. When she did the same in Chicago, she actually got to plan the week’s activities. She loved everything about the program.</p>
<p>Habitat for Humanity — D really lucked into this. She & I volunteered one summer, when she was too young to be onsite (minimum age is 16). We helped with parking & hospitality. A Habitat employee recruited D to be on the steering committee for the local Youth Build. As a result, D sat on the board (several high school reps & a college rep), planned fundraising, wrote & presented for grants, etc. She started a Habitat club at school, recruited students for fundraising, and when the Youth Build group raised the necessary $70k, coordinated build days for her high school group. Not only was it a great experience for her, but H & I loved it, too. We chaperoned work days. I LOVE Habitat! Our group was the first to do an all-youth financed/built home in MI.</p>
<p>Kelsmom - I really think our kids should meet sometime! I have noticed so many similarities in our posts - and I think they applied to some of the same schools, too. At any rate - my S had a very similar habitat experience - got involved as a leader / coordinator of the first ever youth built house in our area, wrote grants, and had a part in raising tons of money and two houses. He loved it! Now in college he is still working with habitat.
Also volunteered for many years with a traveling homeless shelter as well as other projects. My big thing is to - again - disagree whole heartedly with the poster who stated kids do it only because they have to. My S didn’t have to, it was purely one of the highlights of his life. The fact that it might help in college admissions didn’t occur to him until about November of senior year!</p>
<p>My private high school (it is a K3-12 school) runs a day camp during the summer for the K4-6. I worked 7th-12th grade summers as an unpaid, volunteer day camp junior counselor. It was quite meaningful, and fun, too!</p>
<p>If you child has attended a camp before, check if there are junior counselor (or Counselor in training) positions available. Getting 100 hours of service is quite easy when you work 40+ hours a week for ten weeks.</p>
<p>My daughter very much enjoys her CS club, and is disappointed that school clubs all meet at the same time, so she can’t join more of them.</p>
<p>She is involved in Roots and Shoots, an environmental club that was organized by Jane Goodall.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to high school and middle school kids’ award winning community service projects.
<a href=“Invest, Insure, Retire and Plan | Prudential Financial”>Invest, Insure, Retire and Plan | Prudential Financial;
<p>She is involved in Roots and Shoots, an environmental club that was organized by Jane Goodall.</p>
<p>After Jane Goodall came and spoke at older Ds high school- I tried to get Roots and Shoots started at younger Ds school, because they had few science offerings- but they were all * we are an ARTS school*
and I couldn 't get it going.</p>
<p>( I did drag younger D to the talk however- I said * you are not going to miss hearing Jane Goodall*. When she had to present a 10 min characterization of a non American personage in 7th gd a few years later- she chose Ms Goodall ( she did a great job- even though I had to hide in the audience- she didn’t want me to see it)</p>
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<p>My kids go to a school where community service is huge - big IB program and active NHS chapter and other service organizations. Every January the previous year’s alumni come back for a panel discussion and they were asked if they did community service in college like they did in HS. I was really surprised that only a few raised their hands. So unfortunately there is something to the “doing it only for the hours” attitude.
My suggestion if you are looking for community service opportunities for your kid is to find ones that you can do as a family instead of just sending your kid off to do it! When you make it part of “what your family does” then it becomes natural to your children and they will always have the desire to give back or help others. Go as a family to volunteer in a soup kitchen or charity that needs workers to load trucks or paint houses, etc.</p>
<p>My S has been a math tutor in his high school since 10th grade. He also has been tutoring middle school mathcount team since 11th grade, he spent 8 hours a week inside or outside classroom, and has a online forum to answer their questions anytime. S is enjoy doing community service. When his middle school team won state champion last year, he was very excited. Helping people is also a learning process. S volunteerly designed websides for youth symthony and state Latin organization. Sometimes he and his friends offered mini concert in the nursing homes and the hospitals.</p>
<p>Like orjr’s S, my D is still involved in Habitat in college. This is a great organization for the family, if you are looking for a family activity. My H especially enjoyed installing kitchen countertops. He wants to make sure he gets in on drywalling this summer! It’s a great way to learn to DIY.</p>
<p>I know my D did not do her community service to get into college. She just really enjoys what she does. In addition to Habitat & the service projects her Wesley Fellowship group does, she & a friend mentor 5 middle school girls. They meet with the girls once a week. There are so many great things kids can do to help others … and in the process, they find that they develop many wonderful skills.</p>
<p>Now if I can just find something that will get 15 year old S involved … I’m hoping he’ll enjoy Habitat this summer (he’ll be 16 so can help on site).</p>
<p>I think a 15 year old would love building houses in the summer- think of all the muscles and tan he will get!</p>
<p>Physical work is very satisfying.</p>