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?

_____________________

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.

Do you have what it takes to be a Student Leader?

Do you have what it takes to be a Student Leader?

Student leaders are in a unique position to use their influence to make a difference on campus. Leadership can take a formal structure, like participating in student government or a less formal arrangement, like simply being a student others look to for guidance and support. Regardless of the way they lead, student leaders are a necessity, as other students, teachers, and administrators count on these teens to share ideas, improve morale, and facilitate communication.

Though they don’t get paid or receive credits or grades for their efforts, student leaders gain invaluable life lessons, like decision-making, communication, and teamwork. None of those is a still that can be learned from a textbook or in a classroom. As a student leader, you can take actions that will impact your campus, community, family, and environment.

Deciding right now that you want to be a leader, and how you want to lead, will give you the best chance to take advantage of all the leadership opportunities that will come your way, both in high school and as you go on to college or a job. Student government, athletics, the arts, and worship circles are all great places to test the waters and decide how big a role you might want to take.

You may be eager to assume a leadership role, but are you capable of assuming the necessary responsibilities? Do you truly understand the personal price of leadership? Sure it’s all smiles when things go well – but as a leader, you must also be willing to take responsibility when things don’t turn out so well.

Qualities of a Student Leader

Integrity. Trustworthy, honesty, and reliable follow-through are the foundation of integrity and the most important quality of a student leader.

Compassion. Sincere leaders step up out of a desire to help others succeed; compassion for those others is a necessary component of strong leadership. Demonstrating a caring attitude is one of the best ways of influencing others and getting them to join your effort.

Contemplation. The best leader learns from the past and plans for the future, but takes action in the present.

Influence. A leader is someone who sets a good example and can offer ideas when asked, but leaves it to others to decide to follow/participate.

Initiative. An accomplished leader has good ideas and knows how, when, and with whom to share them.

Planning. Great leaders bring their teams onboard with their plans, explaining the expectations and setting realistic timetables.

Flexibility. A good leader doesn’t freak out or start pointing fingers when things don’t go as planned. They take responsibility and look for ways to make improvements next time.

Delegation. A strong leader knows the capacities of his or her team and assigns tasks to the appropriate people.

Chances are you have some aspect of leadership skills – it may just be a matter of finding the best outlet for your particular talents. The next step is stepping up.

_______________________

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.

How Smart Are YOU About Money?

How Smart Are YOU About Money?

If your family is like most, money is a private – perhaps touchy – issue. Financial professionals sometimes say that people are more willing to talk openly about their sex lives than they are to discuss their financial situations. A strange thing, really, for people living in one of the most prosperous countries on Earth.

The thing is, because we’re so secretive about our money, parents often don’t teach their children how to handle it – maybe because they don’t know themselves, or perhaps because it’s just awkward and embarrassing to talk about. Either way, many parents are doing their children a disservice by not explaining basic money skills, like budgeting, saving, and how to use a checking account.

Think about this: babies being born today most likely won’t even know what a check is! Even though we may never write checks, we still have “checking accounts,” which work differently from savings accounts, in that we deposit money into them with the intention of spending that money. For example, we have debit cards attached to our checking accounts which we use for many purchases. Savings accounts, on the other hand, are designed to put money into and keep it there to earn interest, if only a miniscule amount. Banks and credit unions often penalize their customers for making too many withdrawals from their savings accounts, because they are not designed for that.

This may seem like basic stuff, but trust me – there are some folks out there who never really understood the difference between these two types of accounts. Never mind things like money market accounts, cashier’s checks, and wire transfers.

While it’s never too soon to start getting a basic grasp of how money works, it becomes urgent as students prepare to graduate high school and get out in the “real world.” Mom and Dad may still help with your expenses, but if you’re working or going to school – especially if you’re moving out of your parents’ house – you will need to start understanding basic money concepts.

I don’t mean to get all preachy on you, but this stuff is important, so bear with me, please. Here are some basic money tips for students heading off to college – or just moving out of their parents’ homes.

Track Your Spending 

While the word “budget” seems to make many people cringe, it’s a simple, necessary concept if you intend to have money left over at the end of the month, rather than the other way around. All budget means is “to get an estimate of your income and expenditures for a specific period of time.” This means you know how much your car will cost, your cell phone, rent/utilities (if you’re paying for them), food, personal necessities, and FUN. Yes – you need to budget for fun because if you don’t, you won’t have much of it.

Use Credit Wisely

Credit card companies LOVE new college students – because they usually have no credit history yet, so they can start fresh. Please, please, please … no matter how tempting the offers, make sure you don’t get in over your head by signing up for too many credit cards. It’s tempting, to be sure, because it FEELS like free money. But it’s not free at all.

The way a credit card works is that you sign your name when you make a purchase, promising to repay what is essentially a loan. However, if you don’t pay ALL of that loan back immediately (and credit card companies don’t want you to do this), you will be charged interest, which is a fee you pay to the bank for “loaning” you the money. And these fees can be steep. Get two or three cards going with high interest rates, and before you know it, you’re in debt up to your eyeballs. 

Credit cards are not all bad, though. They can come in very handy in emergencies. If you’re going to use credit cards regularly, you should try to pay off the balance each month to avoid those huge finance charges.

Work Out Roommate Arrangements Ahead of Time

If you’re moving out on your own or into a college dorm, it’s important to work out payment arrangements with your roommate before you move in. Decide ahead of time who will be paying for which expenses. If you’re living off campus, determine each roommate’s share of the rent and utilities before you start paying them. If you’re living on campus, talk to each other before moving in to figure out who already owns which accessories and supplies so you won’t buy duplicates or have to budget for new items after school starts.

What You Do Now Will Impact You in the Future

I know how exciting it is to think about moving out on your own. It’s a rite of passage we all go through. The thing I really want you to keep in mind, though, is that the things you do now – particularly with your money decisions – will impact you down the road. Did you know that many companies do a credit background check on the people they consider hiring? I know you’re on the verge of adulthood – and you want to be treated like a grown up. But you have to act like it. If you’re like most people heading off to college, every penny counts. Make it an awesome experience by spending within your means, sticking to a budget, and not abusing credit cards.
____________
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.