Community Service Projects, Pre-K Through College
published 3/27/16; updated 1/11/25
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.com
by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org
How do you teach kids to be less self-involved and more involved in the community?
How do you choose a project that's age-appropriate?
How do you make volunteering a positive experience?
For answers to these and most other questions about volunteering with youth, here are a variety of resources to help kids help their communities.
How to Ensure a Positive Experience
Safety First
NSPCC Learning has a useful series of article about Working with Young Volunteers including assessing risk, and providing emotional support and supervision. (This is intended for organizations who are recruiting youth, but it’s also a good idea for parents and teachers to consider these types of issues.)
Have Realistic Expectations
Natalie Silverstein realized that she made a mistake when she asked a couple of privileged five-year-olds to play with a group of disadvantaged kids, then give away some of their own toys.
This led to a lot of tension because:
1) It wasn’t fair to ask five-year-olds to give away their own toys before they were ready;
2) It wasn’t realistic to expect the other five-year-olds to quietly wait their turn to receive a gift; and
3) Handing over the toys created an awkward power dynamic after the children had all been playing together as equals a few minutes earlier.
Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back
“Don’t overpraise your kid’s charitable efforts.”
15-year-olds Kim and Ana volunteered to sort through clothing donations at a local shelter.
“After a couple of hours, Ana’s mom picked up the girls, and then went on and on about how important the work they had done was and how extraordinary the girls were to volunteer.
‘Her mom was so over the top it essentially killed the whole experience,’ said Kim.
‘It isn’t about how it makes me feel, it’s about doing the work.’
Smart kid. Your job as a parent is to help your child develop the lifelong habit of giving to those in need, not to infuse a holier-than-thou ‘Aren’t we generous?!’ vibe into any and all acts of philanthropy, even small ones. Keep your eye on what matters.”
Beth Kobliner, ‘Five Ways to Raise a Kid Who Gives Back,’ Family Circle Magazine, March 2017
You might also be interested in the TED-X talk by Ian Breckenridge-Jackson on “Getting More Than We Give: The Realities of Voluntourism.”
Teaching Tips and Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans for K-12 Students
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is dedicated to "inspiring a culture of kindness in schools, homes and communities."
Learning to Give has lesson plans searchable by school subject, grade level, issue area and key word.
Tips for Working with University Students
Vanderbilt University has a series of posts on community-engaged teaching for college professors:
Ideas For Projects
Kid World Citizen suggests 35 Service Projects for Kids, including:
Donate kids’ craft kits to a local children’s hospital.
Organize a board game night at your local nursing home
Put on gloves and pick up litter at your local park. (I definitely agree with the gloves--my husband and I got sick from picking up trash without gloves on, even though we didn't touch anything that looked icky.)
Laura Grace Weldon lists 40 Ways Kids Can Volunteer, Toddler to Teen, including:
Get your dance class, choir, or martial arts school to give a demonstration at a daycare, nursing home, or community center.
Walk dogs, collect mail, shovel snow, or rake leaves for someone in your neighborhood who needs the help.
Greet new people on your street with a small gift such as a houseplant or plate of cookies.
Teaching to Give has a list of projects appropriate for preschoolers, including:
Bake cookies and deliver them to the local fire station.
Hold a stuffed animal drive and donate to the toys to homeless children.
Teen Life has 50 Community Service Ideas for Teen Volunteers, including:
Teach computer skills to the elderly.
Coach a sport you love to a youth team.
Offer to nanny or baby-sit for free to a family in need.
Doing Good Together has project instructions, book lists, and reflection questions to:
Conclusion
I hope the above resources help your family or your class have a fun, safe, productive experience in volunteering.
There are many more resources here at MindfulTeachers.org on teaching kindness and compassion, and and on how young people can serve their communities, including the following posts:
Compassion and Service: Quotations for Reflection and Discussion
Resources for Practicing and Teaching Kindness and Compassion
About the Author
Catharine Hannay, M.A., is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance. CatharineHannay.com