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What are some good volunteering opportunities for a sophomore in high school related to the arts, communication, education, mental health, or anything similar? Online preferred.
Hello, I wanted to know if there's any volunteering I can do consistently/routinely that is meaningful and would stand out in college apps? Thank you!
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10 answers
Updated
JOANNA’s Answer
Hi Auria,
It's fantastic that you're interested in volunteering for mental health organizations. Here are some great places to start:
NAMI: namimass.org/volunteer
Boston Project: tbpm.org/youth/mental-health-ambassadors
Boston Cares: bostoncares.org/become_a_member
Wishing you all the best on your volunteering journey!
It's fantastic that you're interested in volunteering for mental health organizations. Here are some great places to start:
NAMI: namimass.org/volunteer
Boston Project: tbpm.org/youth/mental-health-ambassadors
Boston Cares: bostoncares.org/become_a_member
Wishing you all the best on your volunteering journey!
Updated
Debbie’s Answer
Hello Auria, I applaud you for wanting to be of service that’s amazing. If you’re looking to volunteer occasionally in person I would suggest veterans outreach programs and assisted living for senior citizens. Many of these organizations and nonprofits incorporate art making, crafting and writing cards and encouraging letters.
Online you may want to search for mental health organizations. I’m a nationally certified mental health first aider for youth and adults. You may be able to provide peer to peer support for other young people.
I would see if any groups online such as homeschooling coops would be interested in you sharing your life experiences with their students. There may be opportunities to educate them in the things you’re passionate about such as art. It could be like a virtual field trip.
If you’re really ambitious you could partner with your school, a local nonprofit or small business and create an opportunity to volunteer. A fundraiser, toy drive, a car wash, etc. Raising awareness for a cause you are passionate about is a great way to be of service to others.
You already have leadership skills. You are a self starter. You are planning ahead. Any organization would benefit from your knowledge and desire to volunteer.
I hope these ideas spark your imagination and offer insight to what is possible. Being able to align your gifts, talents and interests will make the journey even more rewarding.
Best of luck in your endeavors!
Online you may want to search for mental health organizations. I’m a nationally certified mental health first aider for youth and adults. You may be able to provide peer to peer support for other young people.
I would see if any groups online such as homeschooling coops would be interested in you sharing your life experiences with their students. There may be opportunities to educate them in the things you’re passionate about such as art. It could be like a virtual field trip.
If you’re really ambitious you could partner with your school, a local nonprofit or small business and create an opportunity to volunteer. A fundraiser, toy drive, a car wash, etc. Raising awareness for a cause you are passionate about is a great way to be of service to others.
You already have leadership skills. You are a self starter. You are planning ahead. Any organization would benefit from your knowledge and desire to volunteer.
I hope these ideas spark your imagination and offer insight to what is possible. Being able to align your gifts, talents and interests will make the journey even more rewarding.
Best of luck in your endeavors!
Pam Szivos
Manage projects and provide operational support for a customer service area
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Pam’s Answer
Hi Auria,
When looking for a volunteer opportunity you should consider your likes and dislikes. Also consider the amount of time you have to dedicate to volunteering. Check with non-profit organizations in your area. Consider food banks, hospitals, nursing homes, thrift stores, delivering meals, agency for aging, Special Olympics, women's shelters, homeless shelters, churches, etc. You can try just showing up at a non-profit location, search online, keep an eye out for message boards or ask around at your school, place of worship, etc.
I wish you the best in your search for the volunteer opportunity or opportunities that is/are the best fit for you.
When looking for a volunteer opportunity you should consider your likes and dislikes. Also consider the amount of time you have to dedicate to volunteering. Check with non-profit organizations in your area. Consider food banks, hospitals, nursing homes, thrift stores, delivering meals, agency for aging, Special Olympics, women's shelters, homeless shelters, churches, etc. You can try just showing up at a non-profit location, search online, keep an eye out for message boards or ask around at your school, place of worship, etc.
I wish you the best in your search for the volunteer opportunity or opportunities that is/are the best fit for you.
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Auria,
Volunteering can give you great experiences in both work and life! If you enjoy working with kids and art, there are many chances to explore that. Schools, daycares, and after-school programs would likely welcome a high school student to help with art projects. They might even let you plan them, which is a valuable skill to learn. The Boys and Girls Clubs also have art rooms and often need extra help. You can call or visit and ask to speak with the Art Director.
If you love museums and artistic displays, check with local museums to see if they need volunteers. They would appreciate someone like you looking for a regular opportunity, as it's rare to find long-term unpaid help. They would be lucky to have you as a volunteer!
Choosing between volunteer options might be tough if you have many to consider. Go for the ones you feel passionate about and that will help you gain experience for your future.
Good luck on your volunteer journey, Kim
Volunteering can give you great experiences in both work and life! If you enjoy working with kids and art, there are many chances to explore that. Schools, daycares, and after-school programs would likely welcome a high school student to help with art projects. They might even let you plan them, which is a valuable skill to learn. The Boys and Girls Clubs also have art rooms and often need extra help. You can call or visit and ask to speak with the Art Director.
If you love museums and artistic displays, check with local museums to see if they need volunteers. They would appreciate someone like you looking for a regular opportunity, as it's rare to find long-term unpaid help. They would be lucky to have you as a volunteer!
Choosing between volunteer options might be tough if you have many to consider. Go for the ones you feel passionate about and that will help you gain experience for your future.
Good luck on your volunteer journey, Kim
Updated
Marzia’s Answer
You’re still young and there’s plenty of youth related volunteer opportunities both remotr and in person! A quick good search may find you something remote if that’s convenient for you or you can start with your local libraries and community centers or theaters or even internships. Try online sights like SYEP, CollegeVine, NY Cares, etc or sometimes some college sites have specific areas of opportunities. Good luck!!
Updated
Sean’s Answer
Consider volunteering with the Red Cross, a homeless shelter, or a mental health clinic. Your help can make a big difference!
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Jace’s Answer
Hi Auria,
How wonderful that you're considering taking the opportunity to volunteer!
Although I am not well-versed in online-only volunteer opportunities, I work in the arts and help coordinate a large volunteer base at the regional theatre where I work. If you can, see if any local theaters have volunteer spots open. Ushering would be the position most likely to be available, but some theaters may run a concession stand that relies primarily on volunteer support. At the theatre I work at, our youngest volunteer is about 13 years old, so this would be a great opportunity!
Additionally, some regional theatres run internship programs that may be of interest to you. Some are paid, some are volunteer-based; it all depends on the theatre and the different internship programs available in your area.
I hope this was helpful in some way, and best of luck to you!
If you take a volunteer position as an usher at a theatre and are uncomfortable interacting with audience members by yourself initially, ask to be paired up with an older volunteer! Most house managers and/or volunteer coordinators will be able to accommodate this!
How wonderful that you're considering taking the opportunity to volunteer!
Although I am not well-versed in online-only volunteer opportunities, I work in the arts and help coordinate a large volunteer base at the regional theatre where I work. If you can, see if any local theaters have volunteer spots open. Ushering would be the position most likely to be available, but some theaters may run a concession stand that relies primarily on volunteer support. At the theatre I work at, our youngest volunteer is about 13 years old, so this would be a great opportunity!
Additionally, some regional theatres run internship programs that may be of interest to you. Some are paid, some are volunteer-based; it all depends on the theatre and the different internship programs available in your area.
I hope this was helpful in some way, and best of luck to you!
Jace recommends the following next steps:
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Patricia’s Answer
Good morning, Auria. Although I graduated in Brazil and not here, I believe you have a great path ahead. You might want to chat with your school's professional counselor to get the best advice on earning credits. Every course and internship in communication and arts will add to your experience and help you build a strong network. Consider taking a career test to discover what you enjoy most, and then dive into learning the software used in that field. It's wonderful that you're interested in communication and arts. Keep your focus, stay persistent, and be consistent, and you'll achieve your goals. Take care!
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Kelly’s Answer
Hi Auria, what a wonderful question! Volunteering is a fantastic way to make your college applications shine. It also helps you find new interests and skills that you might want to pursue in college and later in life. A great starting point for finding volunteer opportunities is volunteermatch.com. You can search by location, interests, hours, and causes. Even if you don't find something right away, it can inspire you with new ideas on where to volunteer. Wishing you the best on your volunteering journey!
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Auria !
You would not know if the volunteer position would be meaningful or what your schedule would be for it until you meet with various places to inquire about it and determine what you deem meaningful. You would not be able to predict what would "stand out" as far as volunteer work, either. College applications are not for the purpose of volunteer work "standing out". The staff at the colleges look at a few things besides extracurriculars and volunteer work. They would determine what they think about your application.
To choose a volunteer opportunity, learn your community and you will know where to go for volunteering. There are way too many places to choose from in Boston, so you should have a lot of variety and choice. Try some established volunteer programs for your age range - The Boston Public Library Teen Volunteer Program for one. You can develop customer service and communication skills there. Next Summer, consider participating in the Teen JUST-US program, a six-week paid summer social justice experience for teens in Boston. It ends in August, so try for next year.
Try Rosie's Place, an organization that helps the homeless and low income women. Also try Room to Grow and The Greater Boston Food Bank. There's also Boston Cares, The Boston Center for the Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Besides these places, just pick a place and see when you can start your volunteer work. The place will inform you of when you would be needed. See what is offered and choose something to your liking.
Depending on which college or University you end up attending, all colleges appreciate and admire students that have done volunteer work, but other things are looked at for consideration for admission, too. The classes you took in high school, your GPA, your score on the SAT exam and many will ask for you to write about yourself in an essay. Volunteer work gives you a valuable experience and shows that you like to learn, are involved in your community and have certain interests that you are motivated to learn about. So do the volunteering for your own personal growth and think of it as a learning experience.
One thing I do want to mention is that it's not going to be as valuable to you personally if you do a volunteer gig online. It's important to be out there in person, in the community, interacting with people and doing direct service. You'll get the full spectrum of real life involvement and others will greatly appreciate seeing you and knowing you are there for them. I advise considering doing it in person, on site at a real place that is locally recognized. Believe it or not, not everything is done online. Also, many online volunteer opportunities require you to commit to a schedule and it may conflict with other things you may want to do and school. There is more control of scheduling in person because sometimes they will ask you what your available hours are and have you come in around your school schedule. If you do volunteer work online, it's going to just feel like what you do everyday while on the internet, only a different website. Not sure how much of a new experience it would be.
I hope this is something to think about and I wish you all the best !
You would not know if the volunteer position would be meaningful or what your schedule would be for it until you meet with various places to inquire about it and determine what you deem meaningful. You would not be able to predict what would "stand out" as far as volunteer work, either. College applications are not for the purpose of volunteer work "standing out". The staff at the colleges look at a few things besides extracurriculars and volunteer work. They would determine what they think about your application.
To choose a volunteer opportunity, learn your community and you will know where to go for volunteering. There are way too many places to choose from in Boston, so you should have a lot of variety and choice. Try some established volunteer programs for your age range - The Boston Public Library Teen Volunteer Program for one. You can develop customer service and communication skills there. Next Summer, consider participating in the Teen JUST-US program, a six-week paid summer social justice experience for teens in Boston. It ends in August, so try for next year.
Try Rosie's Place, an organization that helps the homeless and low income women. Also try Room to Grow and The Greater Boston Food Bank. There's also Boston Cares, The Boston Center for the Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Besides these places, just pick a place and see when you can start your volunteer work. The place will inform you of when you would be needed. See what is offered and choose something to your liking.
Depending on which college or University you end up attending, all colleges appreciate and admire students that have done volunteer work, but other things are looked at for consideration for admission, too. The classes you took in high school, your GPA, your score on the SAT exam and many will ask for you to write about yourself in an essay. Volunteer work gives you a valuable experience and shows that you like to learn, are involved in your community and have certain interests that you are motivated to learn about. So do the volunteering for your own personal growth and think of it as a learning experience.
One thing I do want to mention is that it's not going to be as valuable to you personally if you do a volunteer gig online. It's important to be out there in person, in the community, interacting with people and doing direct service. You'll get the full spectrum of real life involvement and others will greatly appreciate seeing you and knowing you are there for them. I advise considering doing it in person, on site at a real place that is locally recognized. Believe it or not, not everything is done online. Also, many online volunteer opportunities require you to commit to a schedule and it may conflict with other things you may want to do and school. There is more control of scheduling in person because sometimes they will ask you what your available hours are and have you come in around your school schedule. If you do volunteer work online, it's going to just feel like what you do everyday while on the internet, only a different website. Not sure how much of a new experience it would be.
I hope this is something to think about and I wish you all the best !