Volunteering in the Community

To introduce students to volunteering through a local nonprofit or the service program at their school so that they understand the importance of giving their time to make a difference in the greater community.

Duration: 
Print1 hour or more
Objectives: 

Students will:

  • Understand why a community service program supports a school’s mission
  • Understand that volunteering is one type of philanthropy and part of its definition
  • See the importance of matching their passion to organizations in the community working to solve specific problems
Materials: 

Brochures about volunteerism from the school and/or local nonprofits. 

Instructions: 
Print
  1. Presentation by the school’s Community Service Coordinator or the Director or volunteer of a local community organization, sharing experiences about why and how to volunteer.

  2. Students volunteer in two ways:  1) Students complete a volunteer experience on their own and share their thoughts about the experience with the class; and 2) The entire class participates in two or more volunteer experiences together during the four weeks of the class.

Assessment: 

Students have follow up discussions and submit short essays describing their volunteer experiences and what they see as the value of volunteering.