Volunteering in an American High School

High school students in the United States, outside classes and extracurricular activities such as sports, music or arts, must also and perhaps first donate some of their time... to help others! To volunteer is both a moral obligation and an educational standard ! Indeed, though students are not graded on their volunteer actions, they nevertheless have to perform a certain number of hours in order to fulfill university requirements. In addition, volunteering improves the teenager's school applications throughout high school and college. But what exactly is volunteering and what type of activities can teenagers turn to ?

Donating your time to help others. All is said in this simple saying. For Americans, to volunteer is to improve each and everyone's daily life through unselfish and day-to-day actions such as, lawning a neighbor's garden, doing the groceries for an aged lady, taking part in tutoring sessions, organizing a language field-trip for children in destitute neighborhoods, building houses for low-income families, holding a special hotline in cases of sinisters and/or natural disasters... and the list goes on and on and on...

Most important are time, desire and energy ! High schools in the United States usually accommodate students with complete lists of interesting activities but what is most exciting about volunteering is that information is often given by word of mouth. You only have to be aware of existing activities in your neighborhood or city and then inform your friends or classmates. And that's it! And of course, you can start with your own hobbies, talents or mood and thus use them for the community's well-being.

As for me, while I was a high school student in Los Angeles, CA., I volunteered for two different organizations. My last two years in high school- first as a junior and then as a senior- I took care of disabled children (physical and/or mental disabilities) every Monday night in a specialized institute which reassured parents and built their confidence through trainings and discussions. With the children, we painted, drew, sculpted, built but also listened to music, watched documentaries, read stories...
It was for me enriching to meet new people and to share special moments with them though it required patience and adaptation, qualities that are greatly needed once you enter the professional world !

My second experience and not the least took place within the international organization "Habitat for Humanity". Every weekend (and throughout the year), if you are an early bird, you can see a group of a dozen teenagers wearing sweat suits and baseball caps in different locations of the city ready for intense... gardening! Our job consisted in laying the surface where houses for low-income families would be built. Before professionals (architects, masons, workers) arrived, it was our duty to clear and clean up the whole building site. Later, during summer, we joined in the actual construction. There is nothing as good as this to build muscles! Shabby arms, beware!

Volunteering is therefore having fun by giving fun ! And the lessons learned help us more than we may think in our adult and professional life, wherever we are ! So, show your talents and enjoy the rewarding benefits of volunteering !

Mouna D. Lobé, professeur d'Anglais, septembre 2007.