Volunteer Hours: Everything you need to know

Volunteer Hours: Everything you need to know

Alyssa Afari, Freelance Contributor

Have you ever thought about volunteering?

It’s a great way to connect with others, engage in interesting activities, and learn new skills!

Volunteer hours are the time you spend working to assist others without pay; this could include volunteering within your community, school, or other organizations.

 

High school students need a minimum of 75 volunteer hours prior to graduation. When you spend time volunteering it would be a great idea to show commitment, passion, and leadership! Some of our past students of the week have volunteered and explained why they enjoyed volunteering! Check out some of our very own THS student’s of the week:

Cassie Huntington: Cassie volunteered at Buckeystown United Methodist Church.

Dominique Womack: Dominique volunteered as a Titan Reading Buddy, ( THS program)

Grace Knor: Grace took part in the Local Love Club, NEHS, NHS, NMHS, SGA. She also volunteered at the Way Station with her service dog to help adults with disabilities.

Calen Brockett: Calen volunteered with conservation projects. In Walkersville, he worked on the trail building that turned old railroads into trailheads.  

 

If you want to take it a step further in your volunteer experience, you may decide the leadership role may be right for you. This could be starting your own volunteer organization/service or even starting a nonprofit about something that you are passionate about.

 

High school students can start volunteering as early as freshman year. This will help you decide your interests, which opportunities are right for you, and develop your volunteer hours. The most common way to earn volunteer hours among high school students “are usually from outside of school, but can also include volunteering for in-school groups/activities as well, such as helping with a team, ie:Titan Reading Buddies, etc,” according to Lizabeth Mummert (Service Leader Coordinator, THS)

 

You can find more information about volunteering by simply searching up volunteer opportunities in your area. However, you could also contact your school, and ask about any clubs that specialize in volunteering. For instance, The Local Love Project, led by Mrs. Nickles, organizes food drives, and knits baby blankets for hospitals! You can also make use of the many volunteer connectors listed below.

 

Find volunteer opportunities and earn volunteer hours with the following organizations:

Volunteer Matcher: https://www.volunteermatch.org/ 

Volunteer Organization: https://kidsthatdogood.com/

Volunteer Organization:https://www.allforgood.org/

Volunteer Organization:https://www.americorps.gov/

Tutoring: https://www.learntobe.org/

Coding Volunteering: https://www.codeforamerica.org/

Virtual Letters: https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/

Shared Causes, Scholarships for Causes: https://www.dosomething.org/us

Volunteer for Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer/youth-opportunities.html

THS Programs: 

 Local Love Project: Extracurricular Club

They organize and host food drives and make blankets for babies

 Contact Meredith Nickles via Schoology or Email:[email protected]

 

Transition Ed: Service Learning Program

Volunteer opportunities fall under the “Service Learning,” category

 “As the Service Learning coordinator, I keep the records of volunteer hours that students complete.” 

 “When organizations or individuals contact me about volunteer opportunities, I always post them in the daily announcements.”

Contact Lizabeth Mummert via Email: [email protected]

 

Sources: 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volunteer

https://blog.scholarshipamerica.org/your-kid-should-be-volunteering.-heres-why

https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-many-volunteer-hours-for-college

https://www.teenlife.com/blogs/50-community-service-ideas-teen-volunteers

https://www.teenlife.com/blogs/10-ways-teens-can-help-from-home-in-the-age-of-COVID-19

https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/volunteering/how-to-become-a-virtual-volunteer/

https://lauragraceweldon.com/2013/06/27/40-ways-kids-can-volunteer-toddler-to-teen/

http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Service-Learning/MDSLGuidelines.pdf

https://www.lakeforestschools.org/uploaded/Deer_Path_Middle_School/DPM_Volunteer_Service.pdf