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Middle Years (7-12)

Do-gooders Young volunteers are making a difference. By Tamirra StewartPublished: May, 2010

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Derek and his cousin Jennifer were close – so close that when Derek, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, and his parents moved to Texas, Jennifer’s devotion and frequent visits to her cousin turned the miles between Texas and California into a simple inconvenience of geography.     Jennifer stayed by Derek’s side throughout the worst parts of his illness – despite invitations for other “fun” activities from Derek’s sister Ashley.     In seventh grade, Jennifer as assigned an essay in which she was to write about her hero. She chose Derek.     It wasn’t enough for her to simply write about him, though. She became impassioned with helping cancer patients. She and her friends created Teens Against Cancer.     Jennifer is one of an increasing number of tweens and teens who are becoming involved in philanthropy. The trend is spreading like a wildfire, and kids are voicing their concerns like never before.     Several Orange County schools are including “service learning” in their curriculum – programs in which hands-on experiences are related to the academic subject being studied.     “If, for example, they’re studying math and they’re putting together a garden, that involves geometry,” says Bette Weinberg, program director at the Volunteer Center of Orange County. “Once they apply it, geometry makes more sense.”     Service learning is more than just a good thing to do. For at-risk youth, it could mean the difference between staying in school and dropping out. In a 2008 study, 80 percent of at-risk students not enrolled in service-learning programs said that their feeling about attending high school became, or would become, more positive as a result of such programs.     Weinberg says that students are in a position of empowerment. “They are not yet jaded,” she says. “They see that what they can do will make a difference, even kids on the receiving end.”     Some teens and tweens are more aware of issues than a generation ago; environmental awareness is a top priority.     “Awareness is growing as a result of kids realizing that they have to help repair the [environmental] damage prior generations have done,” Weinberg says, “and they feel good about it.”     It is a start, but not an immediate solution. But what is?     “Nothing will disconnect them from their iPods,” Weinberg says. “But social media is being phased into philanthropy. They’re connected by texting, and nothing will change that. Not-for-profit organizations are learning that. Celebrities such as Bono get kids’ attention. Television stations now have a lot of ways in which kids can be honored and recognized, which is what [the kids] want.”     Sometimes young kids form their own not-for-profits, even in elementary school. Team Kids Challenge is a flagship program from Team Kids, a nonprofit organization in which young people partner with community leaders, such as police and firefighters, for various causes.     The four-week program, which is offered in Orange County elementary schools, inspires kids to be advocates for issues such as literacy and poverty. Since 2001, some 24,000 elementary school students have completed the Challenge, raising and donating more than $220,000 to local nonprofits.     “This is a demonstration of the motivation and power of young people and charities. They are inspirational,” says Julie Hudash, founder and CEO of Team Kids. “They are the most passionate people on the planet and great role models for adults.”     Haiti relief is on the top of most people’s minds when it comes to doing good works, but Weinberg says there are plenty of causes for teens and tweens to get involved with right in our own backyards.     “There are issues in Orange County, and this is powerful for kids to know,” she says.     She gives a recent example: Sixty Orange County students who were studying agriculture came to Irvine and tended crops with migrant workers.     “They didn’t even know [that crops] are grown there,” Weinberg says. “They were there for one and a half hours. They didn’t play – they worked and then wondered where the time went.”     There’s one supposed “drawback” to volunteering: It may become your child’s new obsession.     “Kids come in with their families, and then they keep coming back,” Weinberg says. “Kids will say ‘I like helping people,’ and this is empowering.”     Often, she says, kids are 3 or 4 years old when they begin, and they stay with it their whole lives.     “Once they do it, they are hooked,” says Weinberg.   Tamirra Stewart is a contributing writer to OC Family magazine. GET INVOLVED > Find a charity your child can identify with. For example, if he’s an animal lover, suggest that he work at an animal shelter. > Remember to be open-minded about what kids think is important. Sometimes it differs from what adults think is important. > Raising money for an organization isn’t the only charity option. Serve meals at a shelter or pass out gifts at a children’s hospital during the holidays.   > Kids learn by example, so volunteer your time, too.  Make helping others a family tradition. > Involve your child by asking her what she would do to help people. Children can be very creative and often come up with great ideas. > Invite your child’s friends to participate; she will be far more likely to be involved and motivated if her friends are included. Source: eHow.com

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