An Introduction to Volunteer Service for Students

As someone who has had a passion for service and travel for as long as I can remember, I have contemplated full-time volunteer service for quite some time.  And while I haven't yet taken the plunge into long-term volunteer service, instead being happily employed as a teacher, I have accumulated months' worth of service trips in both the U.S. and abroad (namely Central America).  Take a look back at some of my journal entries from middle school all the way through college to see how this goal of mine intrigued me from a young age.

Translation: I loved the social work at Sanangel [School].  Because of that, I would choose a program or look for an opportunity to work like that.

 

And as much as my family supported my volunteering exploits and service trips, conversations with my mom always went like this:

"When are you going to get a real job?  You can't just volunteer for the rest of your life!" - Mommy dearest

I wish I had known people who were real Peace Corps Volunteers, real AmeriCorps Service Members, real Jesuit Volunteers when I was in middle school and high school.  Sure, I read about them because I was interested, but I didn't know any.  And I didn't know who to talk to about it.  I wish I had an experience like this when I was in middle school.  Peace Corps Volunteer Ashley Baek describes how her 7th grade teacher brought in a returned Peace Corps Volunteer as a guest speaker and how this experience instilled in her a desire to one day serve in the same capacity.

How many of our students are unaware of this path?  How many of our students are curious, but don't know anyone to talk to?  How many of our students have the desire to serve, but like 9th grade me, don't know the next step? 

I read through Ms. Baek's article and a few others and discovered the following: through World Wise Schools, the Peace Corps offers opportunities for teachers to connect with Volunteers.  It may be as simple as email correspondence, as personal as writing pen pal letters, or as involved as hosting a Volunteer as a guest speaker in your class.  Engagements such as these not only broaden your and your students' worldviews and knowledge of other cultures, but may also inspire them to serve their communities in some capacity and introduce them to a lifetime of humanitarian adventures.

This year, I'd like to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with a Peace Corps Volunteer.  I'm determined to find out more to be able to present my students with opportunities to learn about alternative career paths and our global community.