The Importance of Volunteering in High School
High schools often require you to engage in volunteer work to foster your sense of civic responsibility and spark your personal growth.
Through activities like assisting at local food banks, participating in clean-up drives, or offering tutoring services, you can build a foundation of social awareness that will sustain you through college and life.
But volunteering not only helps others, it also shows colleges you can follow through on your good intentions, turning your concern into actions that change the world.
Benefits for College Applications
Public service gives you real-life, hands-on experiences that echo back to what you’re learning in the classroom. And because volunteering demonstrates commitment, responsibility, and leadership—qualities colleges highly value—your experience as a volunteer can really boost your college application.
Going beyond just listing your volunteer activities, you can mine your adventures as a volunteer for unique insights and storytelling that will make your college application essays stand out.
Additionally, volunteering shows colleges you apply to that you can balance academic and extracurricular commitments while following your personal passions and serving others.
How to Get Involved
In-Person Volunteering Opportunities
In-person volunteering—for example, engaging with your community through activities like serving meals at homeless shelters, organizing charity events, or helping at community centers—is gratifying because you can see the impact of your work right away. In-person volunteering also helps you learn how to work well with others, become a leader, make new friends, and feel proud of what you've accomplished.
Online Volunteering Opportunities
Online volunteering has become increasingly accessible. Students can participate in online tutoring programs, help manage social media accounts for nonprofits, contribute to digital archiving projects, and more.
Online volunteering lets you make meaningful contributions from anywhere while developing valuable digital skills. It also opens networks for global collaboration, broadening your understanding of worldwide social issues.
Watch this video, Online Volunteering Opportunities for Students from Get Schooled, to learn more about ways you can get involved.
Excited about making a difference? Check out these websites to find volunteer opportunities near you: