This blog was initially published in June 2020 and suggests at-home volunteer opportunities for students during the Covid-19 pandemic. But many of the recommendations in this post are great suggestions for students to pursue at any time! If you are looking for ways to engage with your community, here are some suggestions!
VOLUNTEERING FROM HOME
A lot of national and international organizations have had the time and resources to move some of their volunteer opportunities online, but opportunities with other organizations are often just a proactive email away. Here are some possible ways to get started volunteering from your couch!
Activate Good is a Triangle-based organization full of volunteer listings. They keep a running list of remote volunteer opportunities. Right now, they have postings for collection drives, reaching out to isolated seniors, web design, and making Courage Cards for hospitalized children.
For students wanting to enhance their foreign language skills, check out this request for Courage Cards written in Spanish.
Does your favorite nonprofit have a quiet social media presence? Reach out and ask if they could use help creating content for posts. Create accounts, make graphics, write blog posts, and help get the word out about your favorite causes.
If you spent the spring learning how to code, put those skills to use! Offer to refresh a website or build one from scratch for organizations who don’t yet have a web presence.
Sign up to be a virtual volunteer to help younger learners.
Students who love to write might be able to write blog posts or newsletters for their favorite community organizations.
Global organizations like Amnesty International keep a running list of ways to get involved no matter how much time you have.
Get political! There are opportunities even for students who aren’t yet old enough to vote. Students can reach out to local campaigns to see if there are any volunteer roles available. YSA has a list of ways young people can get involved. And local organizations like You Can Vote have opportunities for behind the scenes volunteers and voter education volunteers.
Contribute to crowd-sourced national research. I mentioned Citizen Science back in April, but the National Archives are looking for citizen archivists and the Smithsonian is looking for digital volunteers to help with their records.
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Before becoming a college counselor, one of my past jobs was with the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement at a public university. My job was to connect students with volunteer experiences out of the classroom but also to educate students on community issues. One of my favorite tools was Breakaway’s Active Citizen Continuum which prompts volunteers to learn more about their causes, question existing systems, and move towards active citizenship.
Students can become more deeply involved in their communities and become more effective, empathetic volunteers by taking time to learn more about the issues that matter most to them. For example:
Students who like to volunteer at food banks can take an online course on the US food system or the importance of good nutrition, research food insecurity, or learn about and map out food deserts in our local area.
Learn about the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
Create your own reading challenge on a particular topic. Publisher’s Weekly has an anti-racist reading list for teens (scroll down to get past some of the choices for younger readers) or create your own surrounding another important issue.
Take a Johns Hopkins course on climate change that prepares students to take action in their communities and everyday lives.
Use your new knowledge to contribute to Activate Good’s Triangle Cause Wiki.
Even from home, there are still effective ways for students to deepen their ties to the communities in which they live!