Most high schoolers are bound to volunteer within their communities at some point in their high school journeys. Some high schools even require students to complete a certain number of volunteer hours in order to graduate. Even if you are not required to volunteer, I highly recommend that every high school student should include volunteering in their weekly schedules. Not only can you connect with your community and make it a better place, but you can also make meaningful memories and find a passion. However, finding the best place and assignment to match your specific skill set and interest can be extremely hard. So, use the following checklist to determine which types of volunteer opportunities suit you best.
Tips to Find the Ideal Volunteering Opportunity for YOU
1. Know what skills you have to offer. Different volunteer jobs require different skill sets. For example, I volunteered at a senior citizen nursing center throughout high school. To be successful at this volunteering job, it was essential that I could communicate well with people, that I was patient, that I could think on my feet, and that I could adapt to new situations. Other volunteer opportunities, such as nonprofits, may seek people that can help them in precise areas, such as fundraising, promotion, public relations, and marketing. When considering where to volunteer, first make a list of skills you are proud of.
2. Consider what you want to take away from volunteering. Do you want to find a new passion that you could potentially pursue in the future? If yes, focus on finding volunteer opportunities whose mission and purpose interests you. Alternatively, do you want to build a community through volunteering and simply interact with others? If yes, focus on finding volunteer opportunities that give you the holistic experience you are looking for.
3. Be realistic about your availability. Consider the time commitment of each volunteering opportunity and how much time you have in your schedule to devote to volunteering. If you are already taking multiple AP classes, are involved in sports, and are part of clubs, then you can probably only devote an hour or two per week to volunteering. In this case, find volunteering opportunities that are meaningful to you, but have a low time commitment. On the other hand, if you have four to five hours to devote to volunteering per week, you might consider a more time-intensive volunteering opportunity.
4. Decide where and how you want to make a difference. Do you want to spend your time at a local volunteer opportunity, interacting with people face-to-face and making tangible connections, where you can quickly see the fruits of your efforts? Or do you want to spend your time on a larger effort, perhaps a virtual one, where you’re self-driven and mostly working by yourself?
5. Check out websites to get an idea of which volunteering opportunities you like. Still can’t think of any volunteer opportunities you’d be interested in? Don’t worry! Browse through the following websites to get an idea of which volunteering opportunities you would like to get involved in: volunteermatch.org, idealist.org, and pointsoflight.org. Each of these websites has filters that allow you to find volunteer opportunities where you live.