Youth in the USA - Framework for Growing Up in the U.S.

Kapitel

customers who are interested in adopting animals, and shadowing the animal care and veterinary services staff at the Humane Society. The Humane Society also offers education programming and workshops for students of all ages with programs ranging from animal storytelling for young children to exploration of animal-related care - ers for secondary students. Key Club The Key Club is a club specifically for high school stu - dents to participate in local community service projects and develop leadership skills. It is the high school branch of the Kiwanis International service club . While it is an in - ternational organization, the community service projects are facilitated by a particular school’s faculty leader of the key club. The type of volunteering or service work that students participate in is at the discretion of the faculty advisor and the project can have a range of fo - cuses including supporting elderly people in one’s local community, environmental projects, initiatives related to poverty alleviation, and tutoring. Post-Secondary Volunteer Opportunities It is not as common for students to take a gap year for volunteer or service programs in the United States as it is in other countries. However, some students choose to do this before starting their university education either domestically or abroad. Additionally, many universities have a culture of clubs and extracurricular activities, in - cluding volunteer and service-oriented activities.

AmeriCorps AmeriCorps is a program that was created by the fede - ral government that is associated with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The goal of AmeriCorps is to encourage citizens to volunteer while working on projects with localized nonprofits and organi - zations that address poverty, environmental issues, and education. Through these programs, a person receives a small stipend and sometimes housing and if they are volunteering full-time, they must complete 1,700 hours of service within a ten-month period. If they are volun - teering part-time, they must complete between 300 and 900 hours of service. Once a person has completed their service, they are eligible for a USD 6,095 for full time or USD 3,042 education award for part-time that they can use towards tuition for college or graduate school, as well as for student loans. Political Advocacy Youth Volunteering During middle school and high school, youth are able to get involved with volunteering through local organi - zations. Some schools build partnerships with organi - zations so that they can create a club or an avenue for their students to get involved with volunteering. These organizations can vary, but there are also some natio - nal organizations with local chapters that many students throughout the United States volunteer with. In addition to clubs and school-based organizations with which stu - dents participate, there are also several youth-based po - litical advocacy organizations that have grown significant - ly over the years. These include the Sierra Club Student Coalition , the Sunrise Movement , and March for our Lives .

32

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs