Youth development never gets the attention it deserves. While things like poverty and homelessness are important, it’s equally worthwhile to nourish the soul as well as the body. If you’re interested in making a real difference in the lives of young people, here are seven ways to get involved today.
1: Become A Tutor
Schoolwork is one of the first things to decline when things aren’t right at home. The good news is that even a few hours a week of homework help is enough to get a motivated student back on track. For those who have already fallen through the cracks, GED tutoring is also supremely beneficial in turning lives around.
2: Teach A Skill
Are you a great painter? Can you strum a mean guitar? There are kids out there who’d love to develop a talent but lack the teachers and resources to do so. If you’re passionate about dance, science or computer technology, start smiling and offering lessons to anyone who wants to learn.
3: Start A Journaling Club
Maintaining a journal is a healthy, positive and educational experience for young people of all ages. You’d be surprised at how many adolescents would stop getting into trouble if they just had some kind of outlet to express themselves.
4: Go To Camp
Camps are always in need of counselors. You don’t have to be any kind of teacher or child development specialist to apply; as long as you have patience, enthusiasm and a willingness to romp around with the kids, you’ll find a program that will take you.
5: Coach A Sport
Athletics teach structure and discipline. They’re also a lot of fun! If you know how to kick around a soccer ball or sink a three-pointer, you’ll have a wonderful time bringing the passion of group sports to deserving younguns.
6: Throw A Carnival
Sometimes people just need to step outside their lives for a minute to breathe and recharge. If you’re heartsore from all the suffering, put together a fun, family-friendly festival filled with games, rides and other cool stuff to delight your littlest friends. Let the kids just be kids for a day.
7: Join An Outreach Program
If you aren’t sure where to begin with self-directed volunteerism, consider lending a hand to an existing outreach program like Sing for Hope. Every group will have different goals and approaches, but all are equally invaluable.
These are all great ideas! We all have some skill or way we can contribute!
Thank you for this post and ideas. My daughter has always been big in volunteering and donating. We learned how neglected and lost some kids are. Through no one’s fault necessarily they just fall through the cracks or get sucked in by the wrong influences. Just having someone there for them is important to talk to and remind them that they matter and are important. A simple gesture that really hit home with me was my daughter adopted a classroom of second graders to give each a stocking at Christmas one year. She bought them each a small toy, gloves, and fun pencils. It was amazing to see how excited they became over having the items and someone think of them.
Wow what a great post and wonderful ideas to volunteer for to help youth development. I grew up in the 4-H Program and help when and where ever I can still today. I love going to the two County Fairs we have every year and supporting the 4-H Progam. I love seeing the young people working so hard with their 4-H and FFA show animals. It is soooooo refreshing to see young people out there working and getting a little dirty doing the barn work rather than sitting in front of the TV playing video games. I am a little sad that there seems to be less kids there every year it is such a wonderful program.
These are all good ways to help youth. I used to tutor and am considering starting again. I might also go volunteer at an outreach program.