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Should Kids Volunteer?

Should kids volunteer? Volunteering is a personal decision, but it has a community impact.

Volunteer work has many positive effects on kids:

1. It builds character and self-esteem. It provides children/teens an opportunity to be appreciated or recognized for their work. They can feel satisfaction and pride in a job well done.
2. Most colleges or scholarship programs look at extracurricular activities and community service.
3. By helping a local or regional organization, volunteers help create better communities. By participating in these activities, your child will learn about their role and responsibility in the community.
4. It can strengthen your family. Volunteering, specially if done on a regular basis, can support family values.  Even, if you and your child pick one or two projects/organizations to volunteer with a year and make it a tradition, you create bonds that will last a long time.
5. Volunteering gives your child a perspective of life they wouldn’t otherwise have by working along side or opposite people of different backgrounds.
6. They learn responsibility. By volunteering, kids and teens learn what it means to make and keep a commitment.
7. They learn that a single person can have an impact.
8. They learn to be part of something greater than themselves.
9. They learn job skills and learn to work as a team. They may even take on leadership roles and set project goals.
10. Volunteering can become an alternative to idle time.
11. Volunteering allows kids to explore. They can become involved in organizations or activities on a limited basis to explore their interests.

How can parents promote volunteerism in their children?  Here are just a few ideas.

1. Parents can model volunteerism by volunteering themselves.  They can take their child with them to help.
2. Parents can donate to organizations and talk to their children about those organizations and why they donate to them.
3. Parents can encourage and model the sense of “giving”. They can open doors for people, and lend a hand whenever they see someone in need.

What are some volunteer activities that families can do together?

• picking up garbage at the local park
• serving food at a soup kitchen
• painting walls at a community center or facility
• helping at a local animal shelter
• planting plants at a local park or conservancy

Do you have experiences you want to share with K12Genie? Contact Us.