There are numerous reasons every teen should volunteer; from its benefits on resumes to the opportunities it builds and connections you make.
Let’s take a closer look at why it may be a good idea to guide your teenager toward community service.
Top Reasons Every Teen Should Volunteer their Time
1. Boost that Resume
Volunteering gives young people the opportunity to experience situations that arise at work, such as teamworking skills. They see what people have to do on specific jobs and under what conditions they have to work. It helps them to eliminate what they can’t see for themselves, and to understand what they really want to do.
What’s more, volunteering can impress a future employer. It means that the person empathizes with others, has real life experience outside school, and is ready to leave his comfort zone to achieve his goals. Specific skills can also be developed through volunteering, which looks good on a resume.
2. Learn Selflessness
That’s an obvious advantage, right? But it’s also the most important part. As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to get something back that’s important to you. Learn how to give back and you will see many good fortunes come your way.
3. Gain Self Confidence
Although they face some of the most difficult social problems, many young people feel that volunteerism makes them stronger. By working to solve these problems, they have the opportunity to see how their efforts can improve the lives of others. This can play an important role in raising self-esteem in adolescence, when many are full of uncertainty and unknowns.
In fact, teenage volunteers usually have fewer psychological problems than those who do not. When they see that their activities have a positive impact on society, their confidence increases and they feel happier.
4. Do Something New
Many volunteer positions are created by coordinators to save resources and money for their organization or fundraising event. This usually means there are a plethora of quirky responsibilities for volunteers which open doors to different opportunities that you would never have had without volunteering.
Are you tired of doing normal things with your friends? Change things up and become a volunteer! Bring them along. Volunteering is a great way to do something special while bringing about good.
5. Learn How to Connect with People of Different Backgrounds
Volunteering can teach young people how to make contacts and gather a network of connections. The people with whom you work as a volunteer are also good candidates for referral lists. They are people who have seen how you deal with other people in social situations and how you face new challenges.
6. Increase Community Involvement
When you volunteer, you do many good things for your community. Your help is extremely useful for local organizations that can save money on many different resources and thus use their limited resources to further promote their cause. Volunteering also helps you better understand your community and your life situation.
7. Make New Friends
Volunteer friends are super cool because you’ll usually have a connection with them based on similar interests. These interests can take many different forms, from the requirement for school hours to graduate to a shared passion for a common cause.
8. Fulfill School Requirements
As previously mentioned, many popular school clubs, such as the Key Club and the National Honor Society (NHS), require minimal volunteer hours to maintain membership. School clubs are also a great place to volunteer as you can have different activities with people you do not normally talk to.
9. Discover New Passions
Because of the variety of selection of volunteer opportunities, young people can work as volunteers in an area of interest to them. For example, if they are considering a career in medicine, they can volunteer in a hospice. If they are passionate about animal rights, they may also consider helping out at an animal shelter in their area. And if they’re not sure of their passions, joining a few days’ service can help you discover unexplored interests.
10. Develop Reason to Help a Cause
Deeper than every reason on this list is the opportunity for them to develop reasons of their own to help out important causes. Without their own personal drive, volunteering becomes a chore. Teens should grow the desire to help from their own soul. Let them find those reasons on their own.
Teens Who Volunteer Prosper!
As you can see, there are bountiful reasons every teen should volunteer. Our point is, if you are a teenager or there is a teen-aged person close to your life, you should consider motivating them to volunteer by presenting them these reasons why volunteering as a teenager is beneficial.
If you or someone you know would be interested in our mission to provide small-to-mid-size organizations with great storytelling, feel free to invite them to email us at contact@volunteer-opportunities.org.
If your organization or an organization you are affiliated with would be interested in partnering with CreativeVolunteer, shoot us an inquiry at partner@volunteer-opportunities.org.