How Students Can Help the Community
Getting involved in your community is a great way to learn outside the classroom. When students help others, they can bring new ideas back to the classroom. Many school subjects have a direct connection to community issues such as economics or civics. Those subjects continue to impact the community every day. Here are a few ways students can help their communities. Volunteer to tutor children younger than you and to babysit for families in dire need. Donate books.
Involve younger kids
Volunteering your time can be a fun way for younger children to get involved in helping their community. It’s easy to find groups in your community that accept volunteers of all ages, so it’s not difficult to introduce your child to these opportunities. Consider taking your child along to volunteer events. You will help your child to see the value of small contributions. Besides volunteering your time, you’ll get to see how other kids approach the issues they care about.
Kids are naturally curious and copy what their parents do. As role models, you can get involved with your child in a cleanup effort or community cleanup. Kids will appreciate seeing results and will be excited to participate. You can involve the whole family in these activities. You will also be able to benefit from the community’s gratitude. It’s a great way to teach your child the importance of community service, and the value in helping others.
Tutor younger kids
Cluster is one of the most rewarding places to volunteer. Cluster helps children thrive in an environment where adults are involved. Will Gutekunst is a rising senior at Bishop’s School and has had the opportunity to tutor younger children for more than two years. While his primary focus is on academics and other subjects, Gutekunst enjoys working with children of all backgrounds. He hopes to continue to volunteer and help the community by passing on his skills and experience.
Provide babysitting services for free
Offering free babysitting services in the community has many benefits. This service counts as community service, and can be an excellent way to build community relations and skills for future employment. Many college students will need community services to gain admission to a college and/or future employer. You will also acquire valuable skills that can be used in other career fields. Volunteering in the community will make you feel appreciated and noticed.
Donate books
You can donate old books to organizations that support the community if you don’t need them anymore. Donations of paperback novels are often needed by homeless shelters. Donated history textbooks are needed by schools. There are not many specific requirements for donating books, so you should check with the organization to find out how they collect them. Donating books can be a great way for people to meet new people and help them.
Project on International Development (PID), is a nonprofit organization that accepts donations of books. CODE aims to improve education in underdeveloped areas of the world. It accepts books published within five years. Books are accepted in sets of 25 and more. Books are delivered to a neighboring organization that will distribute them locally. The semi-annual newsletter of the organization, “Ngoma,” contains information about the project and the recipients.