The whole community benefits when teens volunteer. Teens learn to engage in their community, develop leadership skills and gain the positive feeling that comes from knowing they are helping others. Organizations gain a new perspective about their work, more hands helping to get the job done and input from members of a generation raised on technology. Here are a few facts and figures about teen volunteers:
- Teens volunteer at a rate of 55 percent—significantly more than the adult rate of 29 percent.
- Adults who report volunteering when they were in their youth are twice as likely to volunteer as adults who had not been civically involved when they were younger.
- As a result of their volunteer efforts, teens report doing better in school, improving grades, developing new career goals, and learning about career options.
- From their volunteer experience, teens report that they learned how to solve community problems; understood more about good citizenship; became more aware of programs in their communities; and learned more about how government and voluntary organizations work.
- Teens have a higher volunteer rate than average if they believe that social problems like poverty and homelessness can be overcome though volunteer efforts… or believe that it is within their power to do things that improve the welfare of others.
- Teens are four times more likely to volunteer if asked.
Sources:
“Youth Helping America.”, Corporation for National and Community Service. 2005
Hamilton, Matthew and Hussain, Afshan, “America’s Teenage Volunteers.” Independent Sector. 2002.