Guest post by Marie Schwartz, the President & Founder of TeenLife Media, founded to help families like hers find opportunities for their teens.

Volunteering as a family carries many benefits. As Jenny Friedman has shared with us, children who volunteer with their families are often more likely than those volunteering only with peers to engage in service as a lifelong commitment.

But, what about when children become teenagers and all those external forces (extracurricular activity schedules, specific community service requirements, and a growing sense of a child’s independence) prevent family service opportunities from occurring?

Here are 3 ways that parents can help teens find fulfillment and inspiration from community service carried out independently.

1. Share with your teen the many types of volunteer opportunities. Having this knowledge will help her find the best fit. At TeenLife, we’ve identified 5 ways teens can fulfill their service hours (of course, requirements may vary by school):

• Volunteering as an individual.
• Volunteering as part of a group.
• Volunteering as an administrative helper either in the organization’s office or remotely.
• Running a drive for goods.
• Volunteering as special event staff.

2. Encourage your teen to find a community service project that builds on an existing skill set or interest. With so many community service organizations serving so many populations in different ways, your teen has a very good chance of finding an opportunity in line with her passions. Teens can work as tutors, as coaches, or as social media gurus for non-profits just to name a few. If your child can’t find an attractive opportunity, encourage her to start an independent project.

3. Talk about a teen’s community service project in the context of the bigger picture. A lot of students may be focused on the hours and deadline associated with fulfilling their school’s community service requirement. Enlighten your child about the community, personal, and professional benefits to be gained from this type of work. Not only will he be helping others and feeling a sense of accomplishment, he can acquire professional skills and experience that will help him achieve academic and career goals.

Do you have any tips?

Tags: ;, Teens

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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