You are destined to change the world. You can make an impact, in ways large and small—and the gratification and pride you’ll feel as a result will change your own life as well.
Whether or not community service is now a requirement at your school, we believe a project like the one outlined here is meaningful and rewarding, empowering you to make a positive impact on the world around you. You can tap into your creative energy, tackle frustration with the problems of the world, and give yourself a proactive way to make your voice heard.
This project is designed for middle and high school students. It can be focused on any subject or theme of your choice and can be done individually or with a group of your classmates.
Step 1—Getting Inspired
Your first step is to find a cause that inspires you, within whatever parameters you have put in place. We recommend giving yourself as much leeway as possible to make this project “your own” by selecting a cause that resonates with you.
Step 2—Research and Planning
Do thorough research so you understand the nature and scope of the problem you plan to tackle. Once you’ve outlined the “who, what, and why” of the cause, as well as the ways in which you can make a difference, you will need to write up a detailed plan of attack. In describing your plan for this project, you should include:
- A brief description of their selected cause or issue
- An overview of the ways in which they can help
- Identification of involved parties and each person’s role, as well as any related feedback provided by these parties
- Schedule of completion of each aspect of the project, from start to finish
- Specific community benefits expected
See if you can inspire any of your classmates and peers to volunteer as helpers in your community service project.
Step 3—Interested and Involved Third Parties
In almost all cases, your project will involve other parties within the community, both the beneficiaries, and those who help bring the plan to fruition. Examples of “interested third parties” include:
- School or town officials
- Owners or managers of the facility used
- Managers of organizations to which your project may contribute
- Classmates and volunteers
You should be well prepared before you reach out to these parties. You must be able to succinctly articulate your plan, your specific request, and the expected benefits.
You may want to prepare scripts to follow when you call or visit the involved parties. Role-playing may also be valuable in building confidence and polish, especially for younger students who might need some assistance.
Step 4—Put Plan into Action
Now it’s time for the project to get underway.
Take careful notes throughout the project, recording successes, issues, changes, and reactions from all involved parties, especially including the beneficiaries. You should try to capture exact quotes. You should also look for ways to quantify the results, collecting specifics such as:
- 130 donations were collected
- 26 families/animals/people received benefits
- 245 signatures/pledges were collected
Step 5—Report on Project Results
This far-reaching project culminates with you preparing a final report. The information recorded throughout the process (as outlined above) will become key elements of the report, which should also include:
- Most rewarding aspect of the project
- Most challenging aspect of the project
- Lessons learned—things to do differently in the future
- Quotes from participants, observers, and beneficiaries
- Pictures or videos
- Examples of materials used—such as flyers, signs, etc.
- Quantification of results, when possible
Finally, turn your reports into newspaper articles or blogs, to submit to the school or community paper/website.
While the benefits to the community are obvious, this project also presents an extremely valuable learning experience, building leadership, organization, time-management, collaboration, problem-solving, networking, and writing skills.
We hope you enjoy the exercise and are inspired to start a community service project. The list below is to help you get started brainstorming your own community service project ideas. Please share your favorite ideas or offer your own in our Comments section!
Community Service Project Ideas
- Plant a community garden
- Organize a “Don’t drive and text” campaign
- Help a homeless family or shelter
- Raise awareness of global issues
- Support our troops
- Organize a food drive or clothing drive
- Create mentorships and after-school programs
- Organize an anti-bullying campaign
- Support victims of domestic violence or bullying
- Perform a community beautification drive
- Support the local animal shelter
- Provide aid for senior citizens
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