WHY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ATHLETICS AND EXTRACURRICULARS

By Jordan Hannan

With the continuously rising pressures of honors and AP classes, standardized testing, and college applications, the academic life of a high school student can be quite isolating, filled with solitary study and individual results. The adolescent mindset is stuck in this self-serving culture, and high schools are looking for impactful ways to connect students and form a supportive community. Sporting events, school dances, class celebrations, and team dinners might feel like the right addition, but the perpetuation of this dilemma, despite this common conclusion, proves its fruitlessness. Our solution? An emphasized student outreach program.

The difference between the effects of a class picnic and a team volunteering day might seem negligible at first glance: a group of students doing something unique to their normal activities while having fun as a community. However, serving others has lasting positive effects, while the memories of a luncheon are already fading. 

• Service builds connections. Whether it is a group of freshmen who have never met or a close-knit soccer team, working together to help others will spark new connections. Combining teamwork, communication, and trying new things, outreach programs allow students to strengthen their interpersonal and problem-solving skills, which are difficult to teach in a classroom setting but intrinsic for life. 
• Service spreads social awareness. While many educators discuss current events in class, these issues feel far away if not acted upon. When fully immersed in the solution to poverty and hunger in the area, students get a better understanding of just how real these situations are, and they are better educated on how to continue combating them. Similarly, when exposed to a variety of nonprofits, teens are given the opportunity to find a new passion or continue working at and donating to similar charities. 
• Service gives your life purpose. During the busiest times of the school year, high school students can get caught up in the cycle of their overscheduled lives. While the reward of an A on an assignment eventually loses its meaning, the visible impact of volunteering continues to affect others far longer. By incorporating community service into your life, you also add fulfillment and gratitude.

But how can high schools implement student outreach programs? 

• Encourage each organization within the school to have a service day. Clubs, athletics, student government, and academic teams could all use new and engaging team building exercises. By finding a nonprofit related to your activity, more genuine and valuable connections are formed between the students, service, and the impacted community. 
• Provide student leadership opportunities. High school students are always looking for things to add to their college resumes, and leading service projects would be a great inclusion.
• Switch up your charities regularly. Add variety to the volunteer opportunities by continuously finding new partners. Not only will this engage the students, it will also expand the high school’s impact by diversifying and increasing the communities they reach. 

Let us help you get started! Triangle Cares connects volunteers and nonprofit organizations; check out our website to find charities to partner with for your student outreach program.