Submitting applications for jobs or college can be stressful and competitive. Luckily, the whole process is a lot easier when you have good and relevant experience to talk about.
That’s where volunteering comes in. There is a long, long list of volunteer opportunities for teens that you could choose from, but we’re here to help narrow it down.
This blog will answer the three most common questions we get asked by teen volunteers in the US and Canada:
- Why should I volunteer?
- How does volunteering help me with college and my career?
- What should I do? (and why is volunteering abroad better!?)
Keep reading for all the details!
Why should I consider volunteer work for teens?
Volunteering is hugely rewarding. Not only can you help a community or ecosystem in need, you can also develop your own skills and give yourself a head start against others around you. Here’s what we mean by that:
The benefits to you
Volunteering can help you develop key skills that are really important for higher education, the workplace, and even day-to-day situations.
For example, Grand Canyon University sees volunteer work as a way for prospective students to stand out from the crowd. It is also an excellent way to be more comfortable in an educational or professional environment.
GCU identifies a long list of skills that volunteering can develop, including time management, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, and more. These kinds of skills are transferable to all work and studies, which will be vital in your upcoming education and career.
You could even earn official qualifications or certificates, such as PADI diver qualifications.
The benefits to the community
Volunteering isn’t all about you, though, and you can make a real difference in the lives of the people or animals in the area you choose to work. Knowing that you had a positive impact can give you immense pride and you’ll be able to see the effect of your work first hand.
You could choose to help disadvantaged people through childcare or teaching, or protect endangered wildlife through conservation and rehabilitation. These experiences will stay with you forever, and you might even meet some lifelong friends in the process.
Although you might only volunteer for two weeks, your contribution will add to that of every volunteer who came before and comes after you. The real impact of our projects can be found on our website.
How does volunteering help with college?
No matter whether you are applying for college or a job, volunteering always looks great on a resume. If you’re asked about your experience and you can’t talk about it passionately, it won’t mean anything!
Here are a few ways that volunteering can help with college:
Your applications
Volunteer experience can often be the deciding factor when choosing between two equally-matched students. This is especially true when applying for some of the more competitive colleges, like Ivy League Colleges, or courses like medicine or computer science.
It shows passion and commitment and indicates that you might get more involved with your peers and other campus activities.
In the workplace, an employer is more likely to pick a graduate with some volunteer experience over someone who hasn’t worked in the industry. Getting real-world experience in your field for the first time can be difficult, but volunteering is a great way to get your foot in the door.
Deciding on your course of study
The job you see yourself doing in the future often informs your college course. If you aren’t sure what you want to do, you may be uncertain about what to study.
Volunteering for teens is valuable in helping you identify what you might or might not be interested in doing. This can save you from studying for several years in a field you aren’t enthusiastic about (and potentially wasting a lot of money!).
For example, you might choose to volunteer in a school and discover a hidden passion or talent for teaching you never knew you had. Alternatively, you might love animals and decide to do some conservation volunteering, only to realize that getting your hands dirty isn’t for you.
Building up a network
Networking is often undervalued, and not just in a professional sense. Volunteering can connect you with other like-minded people who share your interests.
You may volunteer alongside those who could be lifelong friends, work under someone who will help you with your studies, or even hire you once you graduate. Having people to reach out to during your studies or after graduation could help you learn and accelerate your career.
Consider internships
An internship is one type of teen volunteer work aimed at specifically developing professional skills. These volunteer projects are designed to help you develop the hard skills related to your field, perfect for someone who knows what they want to do already.
We talk about these in more detail in a different blog. Still, they can be valuable experiences for students looking to get into competitive fields like medicine, healthcare, construction, and more. Check it out if you think you’d want to intern abroad!
Why should I volunteer internationally rather than at home?
All volunteering is a positive experience for you and the community you work in. However, volunteering abroad is an entirely different experience that will be infinitely more memorable and valuable — that’s why we exist!
What you should do is entirely up to you and your interests. You could take part in the conservation of shark populations in Fiji, work in public health in Mexico, or support disadvantaged young people in Ghana. Our volunteer programs are perfect to do during summer break or as part of a gap year.
International volunteering for teens opens the door to so many new opportunities, allowing you to meet and work with people from across the world. This means you can:
Enjoy a more rounded experience
International volunteering intentionally takes you out of your comfort zone. It helps you challenge yourself, become more independent, and grow into a confident global citizen. It’s not just working round the block for a couple of hours, it is immersing yourself entirely in a different culture and exploring a new country.
Even better, when you volunteer with Projects Abroad, you’ll be supervised and supported throughout your experience to ensure you’re happy and comfortable. This helps take your worries away, allowing you to focus on your work and personal development.
Think about it: would you rather volunteer at your local library or on the plains of a Kenyan nature reserve? The choice is clear to us!
Develop a global mindset
A “global mindset” is becoming increasingly important in the modern world. This means someone who understands different cultures, languages, and struggles of people around the globe.
Communicating with different cultures is a skill that is impossible to develop without real-world experience. It is also harder to appreciate the challenges that much of the world faces without seeing it for yourself. Many of our volunteers and interns say that their experience has given them valuable perspective.
By getting hands-on, you can experience and understand the world in new ways and recognize the different approaches different people may have. There’s always something new to learn!
As John Wooden, one of America’s greatest ever basketball coaches, said: “You should never try to be better than someone else, you should always be learning from others.”
Have more fun!
It’s simple — volunteering abroad is a much more rewarding and enjoyable experience for ambitious young people than traditional community service. Not just because of everything we’ve already listed but because it is unlike anything you’ve done before.
Our opportunities for teenagers to volunteer are designed with both enjoyment and impact in mind. During the day, you will have the opportunity to carry out interesting, impactful activities and then socialize with fun events and trips in the evenings and weekends.
If you’re in Peru, we’ll take you to see Machu Picchu. In Cambodia, we’ll make sure you get to see Angkor Wat. Visiting Kenya? We’ll take a picture with your feet on either side of the equator.
Interested in teenage volunteer opportunities? Get in touch!
We’ve sent more than 135,000 volunteers across the globe since 1992, so we know a thing or two about international volunteering for teens. In fact, our High School Specials are designed specifically for 15-18-year-olds looking for an exciting volunteering experience.
If you think you might be interested, we’d love to chat and see which of our projects is the best match for you.
Reach out to us via email, live chat, or give us a call today, and we can start talking about your next big adventure—we can’t wait to hear from you!
Get in touch today!
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