Volunteering in High School
Whether you’ve heard this from your teachers, siblings or older students, high school really is what you make of it. It’s so much more than just attending your classes and getting good grades. Now more than ever it’s important to get involved in your community whether that be through clubs, extracurriculars or volunteering! While extracurricular opportunities are typically offered through your school, volunteer positions can be a little harder to find. Given that you must complete 40 hours of community service as part of your graduation requirement (in Ontario), it’s important to recognize where to find these opportunities.
Why Volunteer?
Depending on the person, the answer to the above question will significantly vary. Some people volunteer because they have to, while others volunteer because they enjoy making an impact in their communities. Regardless, there are many upsides to volunteering. Firstly, volunteering can help you advance your career. By obtaining a long-term volunteer position, you are provided with valuable experience in a professional environment. Even if it isn’t a paid position, volunteering gives you the opportunity to network with new people and to expand your social circle. It can also increase your collaboration, confidence and leadership skills.
Where to volunteer?
The most common volunteering opportunities tend to be offered locally. Sometimes, clubs at schools that represent non-profit organizations can offer volunteer hours for participation. More often though, the most popular place to volunteer is at your local food bank. People tend to find these as the most convenient and well-known volunteer spots. There are also additional positions that are typically posted by your city. For example, volunteering at community centres, libraries and pools are all offered municipally. Finally, there are some great resources online that pool together a list of opportunities for you to view all in one place. In Peel, volunteer MBC provides a database of volunteer opportunities in that region. Other sources like OppHub compile opportunities on an international level!
Benefits of Volunteering
Volunteering not only makes a communal impact, but it can also be beneficial for you! As mentioned before, volunteering provides exposure to different industries and types of work. It also gives the individual a sense of purpose and creates compassion. Volunteering can help to develop skills such as responsibility and collaboration. Believe it or not, volunteering can actually be a great way to discover new passions and interests! Finally, volunteering has proved to reduce stress and anxiety for students!
Having a tough time?
Understandably, the pandemic has slowed down many possible volunteer opportunities due to the restrictions in place. However, virtual volunteering has significantly increased, emerging over the past year. It’s up to you to use your resources and find these virtual opportunities for yourself. Listed below are a set of resources to check out to get you started!
Resources:
Check out your city or regional website for specific volunteer openings! You can also check out OppHub and Volunteer Canada for more.
About the Writer
Saif Andani is a grade 10 pre-IB student at Erindale Secondary School. He is a passionate learner who enjoys all things STEM. Outside of school, he works as an Assistant Teacher for the Spirit of Math program where he assists in eighth-grade classes. He has taken on leadership roles by getting involved in his school’s DECA club and by starting a successful MEDLIFE chapter at his school. In his free time, he enjoys swimming and biking with his brother and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix! You can follow him on Instagram @saifaandani or connect with him on LinkedIn.
