Is your teen getting ready to graduate this year but still short on volunteer hours? It’s time to light that fire and get them into a position so they’re not stuck come June. Even if they’re not graduating, it’s never a bad time to start working on them. With so many different high school volunteer opportunities out there, it should be easy for your teen to get those hours in – they may even find something they love and turn it into a life-long career!

Bonus: volunteering looks great on a college or university application, so it’s worth putting effort into this search!

How to Find High School Volunteer Opportunities

Not sure how to help your teen find a place to volunteer? There are many different resources available to get started:

  • Many large cities have websites dedicated to volunteering (for example, Volunteer Toronto, Edmonton Volunteer Opportunities, or Volunteer Vancouver). Small cities do as well, so check your local town’s website or call customer service to find out where you can learn more about town organizations that need volunteers.
  • Visit the local library and ask if there are opportunities there or around the city that they know of. Ask if any upcoming events could use more people. Librarians are often very well-connected.
  • Check with the high school guidance counsellor. This may help land them land one of the high school volunteer opportunities that best fits their interests, rather than one they’ll be bored with.
  • If your teen is an animal lover, call the local animal shelter and see if they could use some help with care, walking, cleaning, or just spending time with adoptable animals. Some might even need help with their social media!
  • Contact the local senior centre or senior home. There is often a wide variety of volunteer positions in these places, everything from providing help with meal service to tech assistance to dance and exercise classes.

How can you prepare your teen? There are a few things they should have in hand when applying for these high school volunteer opportunities:

  • A copy of their ID – this is a basic need.
  • An updated resume – to show personal interests and any work history.
  • References – some volunteer positions will need references to confirm a person’s character, so it helps to have them ready. Try not to use friends or family, but instead people your teen has worked for in the past, or teachers who can speak to who they are and their work ethic.
  • A criminal record check – in most cases, your teen will need a background check. This is easy to get online with Triton Canada. You don’t have to worry about it taking a long time, either. They’re available in 15 minutes.

High school volunteer opportunities are plentiful if you know where to look. Being prepared once you find one your teen will enjoy will help ensure they don’t miss out. Get together the list of requirements, visit tritoncanada.ca today to get the criminal record check, and get searching! Good luck.