Here at Barlow, there are many different avenues students can take to get into volunteering. AVID requires volunteering to help build students’ college resumes. After-school clubs like Key Club and the National Honors Society (NHS) also require hours of volunteering to be considered part of the club. The College and Career Center encourages volunteering for future college and job applications and provides many volunteer opportunities each month.
Students are heavily encouraged to do at least some volunteering during their high school years. Volunteering looks good for college and job applications, as both believe volunteering makes a well-rounded student who enjoys helping out their community. Volunteers are seen to have a positive attitude and are flexible, reliable, and independent, all qualities both colleges and employers look for when choosing candidates. Outside of application benefits, volunteering provides students with other opportunities, too. By volunteering, students can improve mental health, meet new people, and develop leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, is an elective available to all high school students. It focuses on preparing students for college by teaching effective learning strategies and helping them build their college resumes. For college preparation, students are required to volunteer varying hours per semester, depending on their grade level. Freshmen volunteer 5 hours per semester, sophomores need 7 hours, juniors need 15 hours, and seniors volunteer or work for 10 hours.
The NHS club is available to high school students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The club recognizes students of academic excellence and focuses on their empowerment for their future. NHS requires 25 volunteer hours, ten during the spring and summer, and the remaining 15 during the rest of the year. NHS requires volunteering to prepare students for college. According to the NHS website, “About one in three college admissions officers say they consider volunteering in the local community the most impressive activity of a potential student.”
Key Club is available to all high school students and is focused entirely on volunteering. To be considered a club member, students must pay dues and volunteer for 30 hours. The club meets monthly, typically on the last Monday of the month. The members plan multiple volunteer events throughout the school year to help all members achieve their 30-hour requirement. Their next volunteering event is on November 18 and 19. Volunteers will make friendship bracelets to take to a children’s hospital.
The College and Career Center also suggests all students volunteer. Besides career and college preparation, they know many things can’t be accomplished without volunteers, like school events and helping people experiencing homelessness. They also suggest every student strives to be a good volunteer. A good volunteer knows they are making a difference with their time and effort and always does their best while volunteering. To make it easy for students interested in volunteering, they have compiled a list of about 40 organizations always looking for volunteers on the College and Career Center’s website and provide fliers on the College and Career Center boards throughout the school for specific events.
