Community
Service Club
Through volunteerism
and community service, Canadian youth can make great contributions
in their communities. In fact, according to the 2000 National
Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, 15% of all volunteer
hours in 2000 were contributed by youth between the ages of 15
and 24. They participate in a wide spectrum of opportunities,
spanning arts and recreation, education, health care and much
more. But this participation need not be limited to activities
organized by others. Much like the Kiwanis and other similar clubs,
youths can work with each other in community service groups to
develop their own projects
Positive
Effects
The benefits of community service are numerous for the participating
youth. Being involved in a community service group can help to
build positive traits at a time when children are very impressionable.
By participating and accomplishing things, students can develop
a positive self-image, learn to deal with peers, make friends,
and learn the importance and benefit of contributing to their
community. Community service can also have a positive impact in
reducing the likelihood of risky behaviours such as smoking, drug
and alcohol use and criminal activity. (Voice of Connecticut Youth
Survey)
Whether as
mentors, guest speakers or organizers, community members have
an important role to play. The involvement of the community can
greatly increase the impact that a community service program has
for children. The sense of accomplishment that the students feel
can also carry over into their education, particularly when the
youth involved are able to draw upon the experience and knowledge
of the members of their community. According to the National Collaboration
for Youth in the United States, “classroom learning is enhanced
through youth involvement in community service when schools and
community-based organizations act collaboratively and as equal
partners in service program design and implementation.”
Youth community
service groups also give the participants the responsibility to
define their own projects and to accomplish goals that are especially
meaningful to them. The possibilities for community service projects
are limited only by the children’s imagination. For example,
they could rake leaves or shovel snow for elderly neighbours,
create care packages for needy children, clean up litter and vandalism
in the community, collect food for the local food bank or thousands
of other possibilities.
Barriers to Participation
Community
service groups can also provide access to community improvement
projects and volunteering that some teens aren’t exposed
to. According to the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and
Participation, one of the major barriers to youth volunteering
is opportunity and awareness. Amongst non-volunteers aged 15-19,
more than 80% said they did not volunteer because their either
were not personally asked or they did not know how to become involved.
Of those youths who did volunteer, 31% did not volunteer more
of their time because of the same reasons. A club environment
can help to improve their access, providing them with links to
neighbourhood projects and to contacts in the community.
Global
Youth Service Day
On April 11-13,
2003 and again on April 16-18, 2004, thousands of youth from more
than 150 countries will take part in activities to celebrate Global
Youth Service Day, including several communities across Canada.
These events recognize the role of youth as community leaders
and mobilize communities to address needs through service.
Youth
Community Service Clubs in London
This past
school year, Investing in Children piloted a community service
club for students ages 8-10 at White Oaks Public School in London.
The participating students organized a clean-up of the school
grounds, discussed neighbourhood safety with guest speakers and
took part in other projects. Thanks to a grant from National Crime
Prevention, the project will expand to six neighbourhoods in the
next six months.
If youth in
the 15-19 demographic are gaining so much from volunteering and
community service, why not provide the same opportunities to even
younger children? By getting pre-teens involved in community service
projects, you can focus their attention on their role in the neighbourhood
at an early age and help them build valuable skills and avoid
risk factors.
Further Reading
http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/CTvoices/kidslink/kidslink2/promise/special4.html
http://www.nydic.org/nydic/policypositions/service.htm
http://www.nsgvp.org/factsheets.asp?fn=view&id=8256
http://www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/youthsite/youth_facts.html
http://www.nonprofitscan.ca
http://www.gysd.net
