by Christopher Kendalls

Created on: August 17, 2007

Volunteering would be a nice respite from the pressures of adolescent life, particularly given the current climate of school shootings that has occured in the last decade or so as the competitive social environment that often leads to acrimony and indifference in the classroom. I would have welcomed it myself while I was in high school as it could be an opportunity for students to learn more about each other and the communities in which they serve. It can work if students are sent on assignments with each other in groups to make it easier for students to get a feel for volunteering as relying on students to do so on their own, even with the assistance of an adult, is questionable as there are many situations in ones adolescence that they simply feel overwhelmed, thus preventing some students from shying away from certain challenges community service projects can present.

This would also create a certain respect and knowledge of what to expect from volunteering; if students are forced to take a taste of it while they are still in school they are more apt to do so as adults. There were many requirements for education in school that stuck with me that I fell back on later on as an adult, such as English and grammar, volunteering could fall into education as could somewhat replace some of what has been lost in the educational systems that no longer have music programs. This is a great idea indeed.

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