Finding Leadership & Service Opportunities
One of the most frequent questions I receive as as the school’s NHS adviser is, “How do I find ways to do service?” Many students also wonder what they can do to improve their leadership experience.
One of the first things I usually suggest is that students reach out to the College and Career Center. Our school’s college and career specialist is the resident expert on jobs, internships, college applications, enrichment activities, and more.
This handout from the College and Career Center describes five places students can look for service and enrichment opportunities:
- Naviance. This tool, accessible via Schoology, is a hub for all things college- and career-related. But of particular interest to NHS members and candidates is the section on enrichment programs. Students can find it by visiting College > Research > Enrichment Programs.
- Volunteer Fairfax. This website is updated year-round with local and regional volunteering opportunities. Students can search by type, address, and even date, which is especially helpful for anyone particularly looking for activities to get involved in over the summer. Click the blue “Volunteer Now” button to get started.
- Google Classroom. The College and Career Center has its own Google Classroom site with an entire section on summer programs, volunteering, internships, leadership programs, and other opportunities. The “join code” is posted here.
- @GCMcareercenter. Occasional updates on upcoming opportunities can be found on the College and Career Center’s Twitter feed.
- X2vol. Accessible via Naviance, this resource helps students find and document volunteer work and service hours.
In addition to the above resources, students might consider reaching out to local government officials, religious organizations that they are part of, sports coaches, trusted teachers, relatives, and even other service clubs and honor societies.
Finally, students who are already part of NHS can check the discussion board on Schoology for service and leadership opportunities shared by their fellow members.