The Top Volunteering Options for Teens

Discover the top volunteering options for teens with this list of some of the most recommended opportunities for them to perform community service and make a difference in their communities.

There are many different possibilities for your adolescent to participate in community service, and this is true regardless of whether or not their school system mandates a certain number of volunteer hours before a student can graduate. If you and your high school kid are looking for the best way for them to become involved and make a difference in the community, you may be interested in learning about the kind of volunteer activities that other parents have found to be particularly gratifying for their teenagers.

The leading organizing app for families, Cozi, conducted a survey to get feedback from actual parents on the topic. The following are ten alternatives for volunteering that parents said provided their children with an excellent educational experience, coupled with an additional suggestion that we believe is noteworthy.

Before exploring any of these opportunities to volunteer, it is strongly recommended that a phone call be made to determine whether or not eligibility standards or program prerequisites have been updated.

1. AYSO

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is looking for young people to donate their time to officiate games or coach younger players. There is also no need to worry if your adolescent has never participated in soccer before. The organization claims that it has created specialized training to assist volunteers who might need more experience coaching soccer fast acquire the information and abilities required to become excellent teachers.

2. Boy Scouts of America

The fact that the national organization urges Scouts to participate in service projects to “keep their vow ‘to serve other people” has won over the support of numerous parents of adolescents who are supporters of the Boys Scouts. Group service projects educate Scouts on how to give back to their community in a more substantial way. This is in addition to the fact that they are encouraged to serve other people daily.

3. Girl Scouts of America

Parents are grateful for the manner in which this nationwide organization inspires service members to look for opportunities to improve their communities and pay it forward. According to the website, “Giving back is always in season at Girl Scouts,” so parents should “urge their daughters to harness that spirit of generosity and bring their philanthropic aspirations to life!”

4. Special Olympics

Volunteers of any age are encouraged to take on roles as coaches, trainers, officials, event organizers, fundraisers, managers, and united partners, which require them to compete alongside athletes who have intellectual disabilities.

5. Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for people of all ages. Teens who volunteer with the group have the chance to assist in transforming entire communities, which in turn helps families achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to enhance their quality of life. Teens who volunteer with Habitat for Humanity have the chance to enhance whole communities, which helps families obtain “the strength, stability, and independence they need to construct a better life.”

6. YMCA

The YMCA is the most well-known and successful nonprofit organization in the world for promoting positive youth development, healthy lifestyles, and social responsibility, and it is primarily dependent on the help of volunteers. According to the parents, their children have enjoyed giving back to the community through the organization; some have even been given jobs in the future.

7. Humane Society of the U.S.

Parents report that their children who are passionate about animals like volunteering with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to help care for animals that have been taken to the shelter or to walk dogs. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), there are over sixty different ways in which individuals can volunteer their time to assist animals around the country and in their local communities.

8. Pet therapy

Another suggestion for parents and children who adore animals is presented here. Volunteering as a therapy pet handler is open to youngsters as young as ten years old through groups such as Pet Partners, provided that an adult accompanies them at all times. Independently, adolescents may offer their services as therapy pet providers to local nursing homes and hospitals. You don’t own a dog or a cat, do you? You can register rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, and birds!

9. Local hospital

Parents are overjoyed when their children reach out to help others, whether it be by crocheting blankets, holding premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), assisting visitors, or working with elderly people. These are just a few of the many volunteer opportunities available at local hospitals; however, before getting involved, it is important to familiarize yourself with the hospital’s rules and regulations, particularly regarding safety and age limitations.

10. Food banks

Parents report that their children have gained knowledge and developed as a result of their participation in volunteer work at food banks like those managed by Feeding America. As a result of rising levels of food insecurity across the country, providing assistance to this cause is more necessary than it has ever been.

11. 4-H

Volunteering with 4-H, the largest youth development organization in the United States, is something parents of children of all ages encourage their children to do. 4-H’s mission is to “empower nearly six million young people across the United States with the skills to lead for a lifetime.” Parents are encouraged to encourage their children to participate in this mission.

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