As Kansas City metro youth enter the summer months, many families will be looking for opportunities both to continue and to enhance their children's education while they are not sitting in a classroom. College-bound students, in particular, will seek additional ways to grow as a person and to build a strong résumé of activities and accomplishments to present as part of their applications for admission.
An important component of the student résumé is community service. In fact, many area high schools require service hours either as a graduation requirement or as a prerequisite for completing a particular educational or extra-curricular activity, such as the A+ Program or National Honor Society.
This has not gone unnoticed by area service agencies. Shelly Bolling-Strickland, Volunteer Center Manager for the United Way of Greater Kansas City, notes, “As we watch volunteerism trends with each of the generations, my volunteer management colleagues and I realize the value of youth volunteering, particularly as area school districts continue to incorporate community service components as part of their students’ graduation requirement. Many of them also begin volunteering during childhood, either with their families or through arts, sports, faith-based groups, scouting, etc.”
The hope is that not only will a student provide a valued service or fill an immediate need for a particular non-profit organization, but that the student will realize the importance of service and begin to make a habit of giving back to his/her community in some capacity well beyond the college search and application process; whether through monetary donations, dedicated time, or use of special talents.
Bolling-Strickland agrees. “We feature and offer episodic and ongoing projects that are interesting and appropriate for teens while fulfilling the scope of the organizations’ mission. We are also making strides in marketing ourselves to this age group through Facebook and Twitter, encouraging them to volunteer both throughout the school year and during the summer months. It plants the seed to help youth become engaged in their communities and areas of interest well into their adult years.”
And while colleges and universities do recognize when students volunteer for the wrong reason, simply to boost their résumé, today’s youth generally seem to want to contribute to their communities.
Bolling-Strickland adds, “Youth volunteering is at an all-time high. The nature of this generation is such that teens are highly in tune with today’s community issues. Social networking is the catalyst for gathering their information and forming opinions about the world around them.”
An important component of the student résumé is community service. In fact, many area high schools require service hours either as a graduation requirement or as a prerequisite for completing a particular educational or extra-curricular activity, such as the A+ Program or National Honor Society.
This has not gone unnoticed by area service agencies. Shelly Bolling-Strickland, Volunteer Center Manager for the United Way of Greater Kansas City, notes, “As we watch volunteerism trends with each of the generations, my volunteer management colleagues and I realize the value of youth volunteering, particularly as area school districts continue to incorporate community service components as part of their students’ graduation requirement. Many of them also begin volunteering during childhood, either with their families or through arts, sports, faith-based groups, scouting, etc.”
The hope is that not only will a student provide a valued service or fill an immediate need for a particular non-profit organization, but that the student will realize the importance of service and begin to make a habit of giving back to his/her community in some capacity well beyond the college search and application process; whether through monetary donations, dedicated time, or use of special talents.
Bolling-Strickland agrees. “We feature and offer episodic and ongoing projects that are interesting and appropriate for teens while fulfilling the scope of the organizations’ mission. We are also making strides in marketing ourselves to this age group through Facebook and Twitter, encouraging them to volunteer both throughout the school year and during the summer months. It plants the seed to help youth become engaged in their communities and areas of interest well into their adult years.”
And while colleges and universities do recognize when students volunteer for the wrong reason, simply to boost their résumé, today’s youth generally seem to want to contribute to their communities.
Bolling-Strickland adds, “Youth volunteering is at an all-time high. The nature of this generation is such that teens are highly in tune with today’s community issues. Social networking is the catalyst for gathering their information and forming opinions about the world around them.”
True, volunteerism may be one catalyst, among a laundry list of elements, for a student being admitted to a particular college or university or being awarded additional scholarship dollars. But the lessons learned while serving, the lives of those impacted both as a service provider and as a recipient, and the benefit the community gains from even one act of caring, are much more valuable.
For more information about volunteering with one of the United Way agencies, visit their website. You can also keep up with the United Way’s activities and service opportunities via Facebook and Twitter.