By Jennifer Lubell — Founder & Publisher, TeenService.org
Why do a community service project?
Well, there is the obvious: because you may have to in order to graduate, get into college, or be eligible for a scholarship. But that should only be part of the story. A volunteer activity can allow you to meet really interesting people; get out of your comfort zone or bubble; learn about other people’s experiences; develop leadership skills; and feel a sense of accomplishment in helping others who may be less fortunate. The most important thing is to care about what you are doing and to have a passion for it, because that is probably the only way you can get something out of the whole experience.
How do you know what to do?
One of the hardest things about community service is figuring out what to do. Do you want to help kids? Do you want to work with seniors? Is the environment really interesting to you? Do you love animals? Do you like to work in groups or by yourself? Do you like outdoor activities or indoor activities? These are the types of questions that you need to ask yourself. Then, you might consider thinking about what you are good at and what you like doing. Are you the kind of person who loves to talk to other people? Do you get a kick out of tutoring? Every community has the same basic problems and needs. There are poor people, there are sick people, there are environmental challenges, and most community organizations need money.
So what do you do? You can ask your guidance counselor what types of projects other kids have done; you can ask your friends about their older siblings’ projects; or you can be more ambitious, and go on the internet and find out what types of organizations there are in your community and contact them to find out about their opportunities.
Sacrifice and Commitment
Every activity that you participate in has an opportunity cost: what could I have done with the same time? Community service is no different. For this to be meaningful, you need to commit real and regular hours to your community service activity. This may mean less time spent with friends, on homework or watching TV. The people that you are helping will know if you are not fully engaged and committed and both you and they will benefit much less.
Creating vs. Joining
It is not that hard to find a community service opportunity with an organization that already exists, you just need to do some research and ask some questions. But maybe you want to do something brand new that no one else is doing in your community. Creating your own project takes a lot more work, but it shows leadership, initiative, and responsibility. And, it also requires that you see the whole picture in terms of planning, funding, organizing, scheduling, and recruiting.
Getting into College
Just about every college asks about your community service involvement during high school. The thing to keep in mind is that they can see if your activities are really important to you or if they are just contrived to help you get admitted. Therefore, it is really important to find an activity that you are passionate about, that shows that you are engaged, that demonstrates some leadership experience, and that isn’t just a one-time event. College essays ask what you have learned from your experience, or how it changed your views. If you’re not really involved in your project, it would be very difficult to answer those questions in a compelling way.
Using TeenService.Org
TeenService.Org was created to inform you about some of the interesting activities that may be available to you in your community. There is a list of web-based resources that can get you started on your research. There are also a series of video interviews with teens much like you talking about their projects. These teens answer questions such as: how they found that project; what they learned; what is their time commitment. These are the types of questions that you would probably be interested in learning about. I welcome you to listen and watch these videos and get started on your own community service project. Good luck!