Giving to Others Is a Phenomenal Way to Grow

Giving to Others Is a Phenomenal Way to Grow

Volunteer comes from middle French, meaning “one who offers himself for military service.” It wasn’t long until the term evolved to mean “one who takes action of their own free will.” Understandably, the contemporary definition of the verb is “freely offer to do something.” In the US, teens and youth are among the most prolific volunteers, and they continue to do so in increasing numbers.

Why is youth volunteerism so important? 

Volunteering helps teens develop an understanding of the world outside themselves. Also, giving to others improves self-esteem at a critical time when teens often can use just such a boost. It also is useful for exploring and enhancing personal skills. Some teens volunteer to build their résumés in preparation for college. Others do so as part of service programs through their schools or churches. Others still do volunteer work through organizations like 4-H, the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

According to the US Bureau of Labor statistics, 27.4 percent of teens between 16 and 19 volunteered in 2012. They donated nearly 9 million hours collectively, saving the organizations for which they worked an estimated $191 million. Teens make up the second largest age group of volunteers – and those whose parents volunteer are much more likely to donate their own time and talents to causes they care about. Youths who start volunteering early are likely to become lifelong volunteers.

Personal Benefits to the Youth Who Volunteer

While communities and organizations directly benefits from student volunteers, the students themselves also receive numerous measurable benefits. As a 2000 University of Nevada at Reno Cooperative Extension fact sheet notes:

• Teens who volunteer just one hour or more a week are 50 percent less likely to abuse alcohol or cigarettes, become pregnant, or engage in other destructive behaviors,
• Volunteering teens describe receiving benefits like learning to respect others, understanding people who are different, and developing leadership skills.
• Youth volunteers are more likely to do well in school, graduate, and vote.

Increasing Youth Volunteering

If you would like to encourage the students in your life to get involved in volunteer activities, here are a few things you can do:

• Invite them to join you when you volunteer.
• Encourage them to get involved in volunteering at an early age.
• Discuss the benefits, including making new friends and building a positive self image.
• Encourage your school to provide volunteer opportunities, perhaps even making a certain number of community service hours a graduation requirement.
• If your students will be staying in town for spring break, offer volunteering as an option to stay busy.

Help the teens in your life discover the ways in which they’d like to volunteer by helping them explore:

Types of volunteer opportunities

• Are they interested in volunteering with a group?
• Would they prefer a one-time experience or regular gig?
• Are they more interested in office work, fundraising, physical labor, or working directly with people in need?

How they can apply their interests and passions to their volunteer work

o   Do they have an interest in animals? 

o   Do they have a friend or family member suffering from an illness?

o   Do they have a special skill or talent like art, construction, science, or music?

Whether they’d like to use their volunteer efforts to get some real-world experience

o   Could they use this time to develop their writing skills?

o   Do they have organizational skills that could be put to good use?

o   Are they looking to enhance and improve their leadership skills?

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ALBERT MENSAH is a champion of opportunity and achieving one’s dreams. Rising from humble beginnings in Ghana, Africa, Albert has become one of the world’s leading student motivational speakers, regularly presenting to groups such as FCCLA, FFA, FBLA, DECA, 4-H, and numerous school assemblies and student council groups. Visit his website to book him to speak at your student assembly, career day, or state or national teachers’ conference.