Youth Can Do It!

Every single day, young people everywhere take part in projects and activities designed to make a difference in their communities and around the world. They volunteer in food pantries, help beautify their neighborhood parks and tutor those in need of a little help. April 11-13 is designated as Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), a time when those young people are recognized and celebrated for the important work that they do.

Founded in 1988, GYSD is a program sponsored by Youth Service America, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding youth service and its impact. It has many supporting corporate partners who donate money, time and other resources. One of the goals of GYSD is to engage and empower those who are typically not asked to participate in such activities.

The Impulse to Serve

While most people will not dedicate their lives to a life of service, many people are regularly inspired to help those less fortunate then themselves. There are many good reasons to volunteer. Some of the most popular are:

• Giving Back – Living in the United States, most of us are aware of the advantages we have over other countries. Being grateful for our advantages by offering our time and expertise is often both easy to do and personally satisfying. Providing others with basic human services or aiding them in achieving worthy goals often inspires the recipient to continue that work on their own. This can create a perpetual cycle of good deeds.

• Learning New Things – While it is entirely possible these days to find out everything about anything by typing a few words into a search engine, there is something undeniably satisfying about hands-on knowledge. Research shows that people taught a skill through direct methods far out-perform those who don’t. This is because activities that engage multiple senses activate multiple areas of the brain.

• Gaining Experience – This can be related to “learning new things,” but takes it a step further. There are many organizations that provide both training and on-the-job experiences. Habitat for Humanity is an excellent example. It leads people with zero building skills into constructing structurally safe homes. Being on such a team can help one learn the satisfaction of teamwork as well as the consequences of paying attention.

• Connecting with Others – The notion of a more hyper-connected world through social media is now becoming the norm. But there is still tremendous value in human contact. Being in service with others helps us to become better listeners, kinder, gentler and (hopefully) better people. The great thing about connecting with others through service is that there are organizations who are really good at helping you if you are not typically good at meeting people.

Coming Together

Each year, the YSA co-hosts a National Service-Learning Conference that takes place during GYSD. More than 1,000 educators, administrators and students from across the country participate. They network with one another and attend lectures and workshops designed to inspire them, improve their efforts, and provide them with tools and resources to take back to their communities. The conference this year will be held in Washington, D.C. and is called MONUMENTAL. Last year was the 25^th anniversary of Global Youth Service Day. There were a reported 5,434 projects organized in 135 countries.

What Do You Think? Are you involved in any service projects in your community? If so, what are they? Write a paragraph about your experience. If not, take a look at this database and find an organization and/or project that interests you. Write a paragraph about why this work appeals to you.