Many middle and high schools require community service as a condition of graduation. Whether or not your school does, service offers many benefits—to others as well as to your teen.
Getting Started
Even if your child is committed to the idea of community service, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed about how and where to get started. As anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901–1978) said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
My advice for teens is to simply “look within.” Connecting passions to fixing problems in the world will lead to ideas in the short-term, and hopefully to a lifelong commitment to social justice and service to others.
Ask your teen to think about favorite academic subjects, afterschool activities, or issues that you care deeply about. Is reading the way you like to relax? Is speaking Spanish how you like to converse? Does hiking in nature bring you joy? What about making movies on your laptop? Are you happiest when you are playing the piano? Or kicking a soccer ball? Do you have a grandparent with Alzheimer’s disease? A friend with Type 1 diabetes? Do you know someone serving overseas in the military?
Ways to Help
Once you have a philanthropic focus, there are many ways to make a difference. Your teen can:
Volunteer her time: There’s no better gift than the gift of time, effort, and energy. Depending on the opportunity, your teen can volunteer alone, with a friend, a group, or with a parent or other grown-up. She can work directly with the individuals the non-profit serves, help with administrative duties in the office, clean up or paint, or assist at special events. Teens should try to devote at least 10 hours of their time to one organization to have more impact. Consider opportunities right at the school, in the community, and/or a summer service opportunity in locations across the country and the world.
Collect goods for donation: What does your teen have that he doesn’t need anymore, but someone else could use? Counsel him to go through his closet, and ask: What clothes have you outgrown that someone else could wear? How about used sports equipment or books that are in good shape? Think about broadening your reach by collecting items from friends, neighbors, even stores to distribute to others in need.
Raise funds: There are multiple ways to raise funds for donation. Your teen can earn money by charging for her services, such as sorting recyclables and dispensing trash, shoveling snow, babysitting, or fixing computers. Ask her whether she’s ever thought about organizing her own fundraiser, such as a bake sale or carwash. She could could participate in a charity run, walk, readathon, or food drive, and raise money through sponsorships.
Buy items that help others: Another way to raise funds is to purchase from organizations that donate a percent of the money they earn to charity. When you buy these brands of food or clothing, for example, you not only get something you want, but you also help others. Certain websites and catalogs do the same thing. Look carefully when you go shopping and encourage other people to change the world with a simple purchase!
Make your voice heard: We live in a democracy where every citizen’s voice counts. When your teen turns 18-years-old, he can vote for people whose beliefs are similar to his to represent his views in town, state, and national government. But he doesn’t have to wait to make his voice heard. Encourage him to make his opinion known to government officials and likewise encourage others to do so as well. He can write letters to the editor in local and national publications about issues of concern or spearhead an essay contest at his school with a teacher or administrator as his sponsor.
Practice deliberate acts of kindness: While deliberate acts of kindness do not qualify for community service hours, it is important to live your life with integrity, compassion, and respect. Perhaps the writer Henry James summed it up best when he proclaimed, “Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” The point here is that, regardless of credit, doing good for its own sake is important.
Planning Your Service Work
How can you find national or local organizations that could benefit from your involvement? Speak to as many people as possible about organizations that they know of or are involved with that fit your interests, including your:
- Guidance counselor
- Teachers
- Parents and other relatives
- Neighbors
- Friends
- Clergy and lay leaders at your house of worship
Clarify community service graduation requirements: Be sure you are aware of all parameters, including:
- Number of hours per year or in total
- Approved activities
- Approved organizations
- Forms, signatures, and deadlines for submission
Create a plan: Once you have ideas for what you’d like to do and potential organizations you would like to help, draft an action plan to organize your thinking. Include:
- A succinct overview of the service project
- Objectives/goals
- Names and contact information for people you will need to work with
- Required materials and approximate costs
- Schedule, noting key milestones and dates
- Success measurements, including how others and you will benefit
Service Examples
Schoolmate Gives the Gift of Friendship: Sam attends a big public school and realized he never had the chance to interact with any of the kids with special needs who were in a classroom of their own. So he approached the special needs teacher and together they devised a plan. She paired Sam with a boy with Down syndrome, and the two boys ate lunch together once a week in the cafeteria for the school year. As the year progressed, both boys often brought friends to join them. Over lunch, Sam and his buddy spoke about sports, food, and school and formed a mutually-beneficial friendship.
Math Student Tutors Younger Kids: High-school student Lindsay’s favorite subject is math. Since middle school, she has been volunteering to tutor elementary school kids in math at a program in Teaneck, New Jersey called "Math Adventures and Word Play" that offers free access to the entire community. For two hours on Saturdays, Lindsay helps kids complete their homework and study for tests. Many of the students in the program are not able to afford a tutor, which makes it especially rewarding for Lindsay to help other kids understand and enjoy a subject she
knows so well.
Tennis Enthusiast Raises Money for Multiple Sclerosis Society: Jillian, a middle-school tennis player, hosted a parent/child tennis tournament to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, a disease that affects her aunt and grandmother. Jillian got her tennis club to donate the space, local supermarkets and restaurants to donate food, and several businesses to donate prizes for the winners. Jillian asked people to donate $25 with a check made out directly to Multiple Sclerosis Society (www.nationalmssociety.org). To maximize contributions, she even encouraged non-tennis players to attend to watch some great tennis for a great cause. ·
Liz Suneby is the author of books for children and teens. Excerpted with permission from blog.teenlife.org.
