Three Reasons Why Teenagers Should Pursue Community Service
Everyone who has planned an event knows that you can’t do it without volunteers. Encouraging teens to volunteer is a win-win for everyone involved. Many teenagers in America are happily helping others in their neighborhoods and schools as community service volunteers.
Community service is a great way for teenagers to learn more about their community, gain valuable experience, and gain self-esteem. Many of the events organized through Eventgroove involve children or teenagers helping others. One event, a screening of Muppets Most Wanted benefiting the Habitat for Humanity Morgan County Teen Build, helped raise money for home building projects involving teenage volunteers.
Habitat for Humanity’s Youth United program. Photo Credit: HFHI/Steffan Hacker.
There are many reasons to emphasize the importance of volunteering to teenagers. First, the most common reason given to teenagers is that volunteering helps in college applications. According to Teen Life, students who volunteer stand out among their peers, making them more attractive to admissions officers. “[S]ervice work is a leading decision-making factor after a student’s GPA and SAT scores,” states the site. Volunteering also gives prospective college students experiences they can draw from when creating college essays.
Second, community service also helps teenagers look beyond their personal needs to recognize the needs of the many. Volunteering might also help mitigate the stress of applying to colleges, searching for jobs, and other stressors that come with young adulthood. “Teens are thinking about their careers, college, and what their future might look like,” said Michelle Maidenberg, psychotherapist and president/clinical director of Westchester Group Works to Carolina Parent. “This is very challenging and just one of the reasons why they are so focused on their own world.” Community service will certainly help take a teen’s mind from their own issues and allow them to think more constructively about the “bigger picture.”
Third, volunteering can also lead teenagers to their chosen career path. Kids Health states that “[t]he satisfaction and pride that come from helping others are important reasons to volunteer.” Committing your time and effort to a cause or organization you are passionately about can affect teens in highly positive ways. The positive experience could possibly lead to a teen securing a higher position in their chosen organization.
This passion can be seen in the teenage volunteers promoting the Muppets Most Wanted screening. “Most of the marketing was done by Habitat Teen Ambassadors through their school, church and personal contacts,” said Joe Mills, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Morgan County. The event ended up being a success. “We sold 100 tickets and about 75 attended the showing.” At the end of the day, the event raised about $650.
Volunteering is a perfect fit for teenagers; try talking with your teen to see what volunteering organization they might be interested in.
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