Your Back to School Service Guide
By Alex Metzman, YSA Youth Council Member
It’s back-to-school season—new textbooks, pencils and pens, notebooks, and clothes mark the beginning of the upcoming school year. After enjoying the warm weather and local pools, you are starting to realize it’s time to finish up that summer reading before the first day. While you’re obviously excited to see all of your friends again on a daily basis, we want to provide you with some ways to channel that energy to help serve your community. The YSA Youth Council is happy to present 5 Service Activities during Back to School Season:
1. Donate books to a library or your local bookstore!I know that I personally like to keep many of the textbooks and books I read from previous years in storage. You never know when you may need them right? However, after taking a second look, I realized that I would probably never look at some of those books again, and they would benefit someone else if I donated them. There are many students who could benefit from used textbooks!
2. Volunteer to Organize Books for your librarian!There’s that week before school where everyone rushes to pick up their textbooks. Usually, they’re placed neatly into piles or boxes for your convenience. Don’t forget that someone had to work hard to make your life easy! Call your librarian or a local school and volunteer your time to make the transition to school much easier!
3. Host a Freshman Welcome with Upperclassmen at school!Do you remember your first day of high school? There was probably a great deal of anticipation, and it would be normal if you were nervous. Welcome the new Freshman by hosting a breakfast or get together. Tell them about all of the great opportunities to get involved and give them tips about school. You never know, you may start a tradition!
4. Create a Survival Kit for New Students!Nothing makes you feel special like a meaningful gift that someone carefully thought out. Every year, there are new students who may not know the lay of the land. Take some time and create a small survival kit that will help them adjust to your school. Not only will you make them feel welcome, but you may just make lifelong friends from this small act of kindness.
5. Create Breakfast Bags with Small Boxes of Cereal and Apples for your School Social Worker to Distribute!Unfortunately, there are many youth who aren’t able to have a healthy breakfast before school. By creating a breakfast bag you are making a huge difference in their day—starting them off with healthy food which will energize them to learn!
This is an incredibly exciting time of year! As you embark upon a new year of school, make sure to take some time out of your busy life to think about someone else!
For original blog content visit: http://www.ysa.org/blog/2013/08/19/your-back-school-service-guide?utm_source=National+Service+Briefing+8.22.13&utm_campaign=NSB+8.22.13&utm_medium=email
