 |
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Volunteers: The Connection between Youth Volunteering and Continued Civic Engagement  This year over 13 million teens will contribute 2.4 billion hours of service to our communities. Imagine what communities all across the country could be if this growing group of volunteers continues to serve as they enter adult life. What are the chances that these 13 million teen volunteers will always volunteer?The odds for continued service, throughout life, by the youth volunteers today are looking pretty good. This spring The Case Foundation released a study that examines civic engagement among the Millennial Generation. The study illustrates the strong tendency of individuals, who are exposed to service as youth to incorporate volunteerism into their lives: “Millennials are defined as people born between 1978 and 1993…According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, teenage volunteerism and community service more than doubled between 1989 and 2005 (from 13.4 percent to 28.4 percent). In addition, there has been a 20 percent increase in the number of college students volunteering between 2002 and 2005, meaning that volunteerism has sustained beyond high school.” The Millennials serve as a positive example of youth volunteering resulting in long-term civic engagement. If we continue to foster the youth service movement, we will have a more engaged citizenry in the future. The youth population has expressed a desire for an increased level of service opportunities. According to a 2001 survey, conducted by Do Something, “three quarters of students report their schools do not have service requirements, but almost half of these students wish their schools did.” It is evident that more can, and should, be done to ensure that every student has the opportunity to serve. This is what our youth want. Why do our youth want to volunteer? Teens have identified three primary benefits from volunteering (“Family Volunteering,” Purdue University): 1. learn about community issues; 2. get something back, a feeling of self-satisfaction; 3.have a positive influence on the people they help. In interviewing three youth volunteers, the perceived benefits of volunteering, outlined above, rang true.  A TeenWorks volunteer, 15-year old Adri Padilla, illustrates how volunteering has positively impacted her life: “Volunteering helps me learn about community issues. I’m so busy with my own life that taking the time to step out of it and make time to help my community has helped to see the issues that are really facing society. We helped paint a school downtown; I used to live in the area and never knew the issues in education because I went to school elsewhere. It just goes to show what a person can learn when they just stop and open their eyes.” Learning about community issues is a key motivator for youth volunteers, and it is a benefit that will sustain their service well into adulthood. At Metro Volunteers, we believe in the tenet that volunteering not only changes the world, but it also changes the individual who volunteers. Volunteering gives youth a feeling of self-satisfaction. In addition value systems are strengthened from volunteering, and these values will play an important role for young volunteers throughout their lives (“Family Volunteering,” Purdue University). When asked the question: what do you like best about volunteering? Youth volunteer, Jaime Torres who is 14 years old, answered, “I like meeting new people, and really helping people. When I volunteer at the Food Bank, I know that I am making a difference. The people there thank me and I can tell how grateful they are. Everyone needs a little help sometimes.” Jaime exemplifies the third primary benefit youth perceive from volunteering: making a positive impact in their communities. It is evident that the majority of the13 million teen volunteers who will serve our communities this year will always volunteer. Jaime reaffirmed this conclusion, “I will always do whatever I can to help people. I know I will volunteer when I am older.” Youth Volunteering: Ways to Get Involved At Metro Volunteers, we offer many unique opportunities for youth volunteers, including: 1. TeenWorks: TeenWorks is a volunteer program that fuses team building, education, reflection, and service into a unique opportunity to explore the different issues affecting our community. Students, ages 14-17, come together as a team and volunteer at a variety of projects throughout Metro Denver. 2. HandsOn Schools: Combining the resources of parents, communities and corporate volunteers in an innovative approach, HandsOn Schools aim to reestablish schools as the focal point of the community. Youth volunteers play an active role in planning and executing volunteer projects at their school. 3. Youth Volunteer Guide: The Youth Volunteer Guide contains detailed information about nonprofit agencies across the Denver metro area that welcomes youth volunteers. —Martina Torres, Director of Agency Relations, and Alexandra Lee, Director of Marketing and Communications, Metro Volunteers For more information about youth volunteering or Metro Volunteers, visit our website: www.metrovolunteers.org. |
||
