There is never a better opportunity to volunteer than while you are a teen. In fact, volunteer work gives teens an excellent opportunity to help their communities.

Also, volunteering helps teens to develop a sense of personal responsibility, broadens their view of the world, and sharpens their skills so they can become well-rounded members of society.

Not to mention, most people that volunteer feel a sense of pride afterward because helping others and humbling yourself is one of the best ways to make a difference and better yourself.

Let’s look at what teens have to gain from getting involved in their community’s volunteer efforts.

1. Gain New Skills

Volunteering helps people learn new skills and improve on existing ones. This is especially true if you get involved in a variety of volunteering activities.

For example, you may do the following:

  • Mentoring. Whether it be someone younger or older than you, befriending someone in need is a great way to spend your time. You might play games, help with homework, go shopping, or just talk – the point is to spend quality time with someone who needs a friend.
  • Administrative Work. You may not realize it, but many organizations need help with basic office duties. This teaches you time management, organization, and other helpful clerical skills. Most importantly, being in an environment to observe and being in the mix of things.
  • Youth Work. The community is always in need of youth work volunteers. This helps build patience and hone leadership skills.

In the end, you will gain lifelong skills that will carry into adulthood by volunteering even a small amount of your time.

2. Learn Time Management

As a teen, it’s easy to get swept up in having fun with your friends. However, this is a crucial age where things such as time management must be learned.

Committing some of your precious time to helping others is not only a noble thing to do, but it also teaches you how to balance the necessary work/life system.

3. Build Social Skills

Being able to socialize with many different types of people is something all people must learn. By getting out of your comfort zone and working with a variety of people, you will gain new friends, become more social, and build confidence as well.

Plus, socializing with others has been known to improve both your mental and physical health. For example, reduce stress and anxiety, boost your immune system, and even rev up your brain by challenging yourself with new activities that may need both physical strength and brainpower to complete.

4. Learn Selflessness

Selflessness is something that some adults never gain. However, by taking the time to be selfless, you learn how helping others not only benefit those in need but yourself as well.

It’s good to connect with others in your community, especially if they are less fortunate. This will instill a new sense of gratitude in your own life and encourage you to continue helping those in need.

4. Boost Your Resume

There is no denying that anyone trying to get into college is going to be up against some highly qualified candidates. After all, plenty of high school students have exceptional grades and tests scores.

One thing that can set you apart from even the stiffest competition when applying for college is your volunteer experience.

In fact, one of the benefits of attending a boarding school is that not only will you partake in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum; you will be required to complete a set number of community volunteer hours to graduate.

This experience will help impress the admissions boards and get you admitted to a great college.

Altogether, getting involved with your community, especially as a teen, is a great way to become a better person overall. Plus, with the skills and knowledge you learn during your volunteer experience, you will be able to thrive as an adult when you hit college and beyond.