Last updated by Kasey Murphy on 10/14/2022 When it comes to high school students and volunteering, there can be a lack of authenticity and for those who really love volunteering - which most School Volunteer Coordinators do.
There are multiple reasons why high school students are asked to volunteer, and why in some states there are actually a required amount of volunteer hours for high school students. Volunteering at a young age and in a pivotal point in student’s lives has multiple benefits.
Student volunteer hours can introduce students to new skillsets they weren’t aware of before.
High school service hour opportunities tend to give high school students more social skills and independence.
Volunteer hours for high school students can include a benefit in the community and high school students can see their impact.
Student volunteer hours and service hours for high school students can bring perspective and awareness to issues that students were not aware of and did not realize they could provide a helping hand.
High school service hours can lead to better resumes and job opportunities for students.
Providing a path for service hours for high school students allows students to get in the habit of volunteering and contribute to society more.
Service hours for high school students help students learn real-life solutions and create an impact on the community.
In addition, there are many incredible volunteer stats on how volunteering can help lengthen and create a healthier lifestyle in all individuals.
So, it is pretty clear why high school service hours are enforced and recommended. But, if your student volunteers are not volunteering for the right reasons, then they might not be getting any of these benefits.
In other words, if high school service hours are only being completed for students to graduate or for a requirement, students might not be getting the full effect and understand the impact and importance of volunteering.
One way to fix this issue for student volunteer hours is just by selling your service hour and volunteer hour program to your high school students differently.
We have created a full download of all the different ways you can sell service hours to high school students. The guide is equipt with step-by-step plans and additional strategies!
Subtle Encouragement Vs. Overpowering Motivation
The main takeaway from motivating your student volunteers in the right way to complete their volunteer hours in high school is to be more subtle about any requirements or specificities that they have to meet.
The more freedom that high school students feel when attaining service hours allows them to be doing something that they wish to do and something that matters to them in some subconscious level.
High school service hours need to be something that students, on some level, feel excited to do. This won’t happen if they feel like it is just another task or homework assignment.
The student volunteer hour options need to the right options to reflect multiple student interests and that can showcase impact immediately.
For more specific details and examples of doing this, download the Guide!
Reporting High School Service Hours Should Not Be Complicated
In a similar note to the above, when high school service hours are completed, and if your school records volunteer hours from high school students, there should not be a difficult process for students to go through to do this.
Reporting and tracking service hours for high school students can be a very simple and easy process if your school uses a volunteer time tracking system for student volunteers.
This can allow students to simply log their volunteer hours for school and have access to a dashboard to see how many total hours they have completed.
Then, administrators can see how many high school students are completing their service hours, which might need more motivation, and more!
There are also time tracking systems like Track It Forward, which can have high school volunteer hours tracked through an event calendar and a mobile check in kiosk. Track it Forward also offers a single sign-on integration with Clever. If your school uses Clever, then this is the perfect solution to allow students to track volunteer hours securely using their existing Clever credentials! Check out how to track high school volunteer hours for a graduation requirement here.
Having a time tracking system makes it easier for high school students to quickly log their hours instead of having a complex process. It also ensures accurate accountability for students and administrators when it comes to high school service hours!
If you combine a subtle motivational tactic with an easy tracking process, high school student volunteer hours will be completed in a more efficient and authentic manner!