Noemi Aguilar
Training Specialist
National Center for Family Literacy
Louisville, KY

When programs consider using volunteers to enhance services, very few consider recruiting youth/teen volunteers. The thought of having a group of teens actively involved in your program may make you tremble, but consider the many positive aspects of the idea. Volunteerism is becoming an important part of school curricula and often is a requirement of youth organizations such as Boy Scouts, 4-H and Future Farmers of America. Youth volunteers come from a virtually unused pool of high energy and enthusiastic helpers. They represent an opportunity to shape tomorrow’s leaders into becoming supporters of your program.

Benefits
Although developing a good youth volunteer program will take time and effort, the benefits will exceed your expectations.

1. Youth volunteers bring fresh ideas and energy to your program’s services.
2. Once your young volunteers begin to feel that you value their assistance, they could become your greatest recruitment tool; by encouraging their friends to volunteer as well.
3. Youth volunteers provide a direct connection to the community and link your program to potential adult volunteers (their parents).
4. When you plan special events, youth volunteers can be that extra “set of hands” you badly need. Their high energy and fresh perspectives will make any event more fun and will give your staff more time to spend with families.

When planning to assign tasks to youth volunteers, consider the following possibilities. Youth volunteers can:

• be homework tutors
• serve as conversation partners
• mentor young English language learners
• advocate for your program and families in the community
• help with general office duties: making copies, filing, organizing supplies
• help prepare instructional packets
• serve as guides during program field trips
• be American culture ambassadors
• help with teen volunteer recruitment efforts: developing flyers, “spreading the word,” organizing special teen events
• record family stories
• be role models for refugee teens

Challenges
The many talents and creativity that youth volunteers can bring to your program will enhance and strengthen the services you currently provide. However, developing a high quality youth program does have its challenges.

The many benefits gained from youth volunteers will be realized only when you develop a plan of action for incorporating youth into the services offered to families. Integrating youth volunteers has its own set of considerations. When planning to involve youth volunteers consider the following:

• Youth volunteers need more guidance and support than your adult volunteers. Each assignment will need in-depth, yet easy to follow, instructions. The development of a guide book is one way to tackle this need. Keep in mind, however, that the guidance you provide should come from a teen’s perspective; therefore, you may want to include youth in the process of developing a guidebook.
• Because youth volunteers bring much enthusiasm, you will need to prepare/train staff and adult volunteers to work with youth. Many misunderstandings can be avoided when everyone is clear on his/her role.
• Their high energy needs an outlet, so keeping youth actively involved will be a priority.
• Youth volunteers are willing to take more risks than adults, so they will need structure. Be clear about your expectations and limits.
• Youth volunteers need a flexible schedule to have room for their school activities, transportation challenges, and work schedules.
• Youth volunteers may not make a long term commitment to your program. Be prepared to offer short-term opportunities for youth to fit into your program.
• Youth volunteers need parental permission to participate in some activities (such as field trips) and parental signatures on waivers, service agreements, etc.

Lessons Learned: One program’s story

Many programs have begun the journey of including youth volunteers. By and large these programs feel that, despite the effort to incorporate youth volunteers into their program, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Using youth volunteers provides the opportunity to share program messages, to strengthen program services, and to tap into an under-utilized workforce. Programs have found that young people can bring new energy and innovative ideas.

Ginny Roby began her summer thinking about ways, such as babysitting, to make money for college. Little did she know that by the end of that summer she would be hired as a Youth Coordinator for Catholic Charities. Like many other teens, Ginny never thought about how important volunteering can be or what impact volunteers might have on their community.

Ginny, along with 25 other youth, was introduced to a new program at Catholic Charities English Language Training (ELT) School in Louisville, Kentucky, during the summer of 2003. The teens were asked if they would be interested in reading to and playing with refugee children. After that first meeting, 10 youth expressed interest in volunteering.

The teen program was named “Angel FEAT.” The most important objective of the program is for each youth volunteer to befriend a refugee child or youth. Then through a series of activities, the teen volunteers help make refugees feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

Angel FEAT started in 2003 as a way to connect local children and youth with refugee children to develop friendships and mentor them in their new environment. Now, Angel FEAT has grown to include helping children learn to read, write and speak English with the help of a youth mentor. G. Horne, ELT Educational Director, states “Children and youth have a language all their own. They know how to present reading in an exciting and inviting way that makes others want to participate as well.”

The teen volunteers planned a series of events such as:

• field trips to introduce the youth and the refugees and create opportunities for them to develop relationships
• researching local areas of interest to share information with their refugee mentees
• special projects for sharing personal and family stories to get to know one another

The first youth recruitment meeting included interested youth, parents, guardians, current teen volunteers and the ELT Educational Director who gathered to discuss issues such as:

• the various refugee populations in the community with whom youth will work
• volunteer hours and duties
• personal experiences
• benefits of participating in the program.

A short video is shown that describes refugee youth and their travels to the U.S. Afterward, a few refugee youth share their stories. There is a question and answer period and a time for socializing. At the end of the meeting, youth leave with a packet that includes:

• a volunteer application
• information on volunteer hours and duties
• expectations of the time commitment
• permission slips and waivers
• a list of the benefits of volunteering

The Angel FEAT story is a good example of how youth volunteers can be encouraged and nurtured within a program. The minds and hearts of young volunteers are open to new experiences that working with families can provide. They can be an asset to your program.

This information was produced by the National Center for Family Literacy for use on www.thinkfinity.org, a powerful educational platform supported by the Verizon Foundation. This information is in the public domain and may be reproduced for noncommercial purposes without permission.

Copyright © 2005 by the National Center for Family Literacy. Produced by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) (325 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-4237).