Tips to Get Kids Involved in Community Service
Volunteering for community service doesn't just help others; it offers many personal benefits, too. While adults may have an easy time appreciating this, sometimes kids need a little encouragement to get involved. But teaching children-whether, toddlers or teens-to selflessly contribute to their community is a powerful lesson that can stay with them for life and be so rewarding in so many ways.
Kids who volunteer get to meet new people, discover new interests, learn new skills, practice teamwork and problem-solving, develop responsibility, gain valuable experience for college and job applications in the future, feel a sense of pride, and benefit in lots of other ways. It also instills the important lesson that one person can make a difference.
Of course, most children aren't too proactive about these sorts of things. So it's up to parents, teachers, and other adults in their life to give some gentle nudges in the right direction.
Why Volunteer: Personal Benefits
Here are just some of the major advantages of taking part in community service:
- Learn practical new skills and improve your existing ones
- Enhance critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Boost your communication skills
- Build leadership and teamwork skills
- Gain insights into your own strengths and weaknesses
- Develop new interests and passions
- Meet new people with similar interests
- Make meaningful new friendships
- Connect with professionals who may have opportunities for you now or in the future.
- Build your resume with valuable experience and proof of character
- Build your college and/or scholarship applications in similar ways
- Discover an unexpected career path
- Enjoy a change of scene
- Get some additional physical activity
- Become more stimulated and engaged with life
- Reduce your stress levels
- Improve your mood, outlook, and general satisfaction
- Feel pride and boost your self-esteem for doing some good
- Experience a powerful sense of purpose
- Find creative inspiration
- Further causes you believe in
- Encourage your own sense of social responsibility and social justice
- Become a more informed voter and activist
- Expose yourself to different people from different walks of life
- See past stereotypes about other groups through firsthand experience
- Build a more well-rounded perspective on life and issues
- Gain genuine, well-deserved admiration while setting a positive example
- Fulfill community service requirements for school
- Get your friends and family involved and watch them enjoy similar benefits
- Live in a healthier, happier, more supportive, and united community
