Community Service Summer Projects
Summer is a great time to work on community service projects. These projects can help you become a better candidate for college, expand your network, explore various career paths, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, help you grow personally.
What is community service?
Community service is any volunteer work done by you or a group to help non-profit organizations. Since it is usually helping people and organizations around the place you live, your community, it is called community service. Usually, community service opportunities are organized by local schools, religious groups, or non-profit organizations, but you can also create your own group or work individually to help those in need.What is a non-profit organization?
A non-profit organization is a group whose ONLY purpose is to help a specific group or social mission. A non-profit makes money to pay day-to-day operations and employees, but all extra money made is not given back to its owners or founders, instead it is used for operational of the organization. Examples of non-profit organizations are churches,museums, public schools, legal aid societies, political organizations, public clinics and hospitals, public charity organizations, private foundations, shelters, and soup kitchens.
What is NOT community service?
Volunteering your time at businesses is NOT community service. This is volunteer work, which is still great, but not community service. All community service is volunteer work but not all volunteer work is community service.
So now you know what community service is. Now, it’s time to figure out what you want to do. Making your passion your career also applies to service in your community.
Below are examples broken down by areas of career interests. Look through all of them, as you will most likely be interested in more than one area.
Community Service Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
- Volunteer at STEM summer camps.
- While this sounds easy enough, you do have to commit yourself to a schedule and show up.
- Create and organize a 1-2 hour STEM workshop or summer camp for kids. (Examples of topics are: Lego inspired, robotics, edible science, weather patterns, space exploration, engineering design with household items, power sources, gardening, recycling crafts, kitchen chemistry, creating crystals, math, app-design, computer software applications)
- Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive STEM workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop. You can partner up with businesses and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to elementary principals and teachers in your area to help you with the project. If you are good at something, share it with others.
- **Please note: This applies to ANY given topic, activity, or subject you have exceptional knowledge of and would like to share.
- Volunteer at local planetarium.
- Help in efforts to clean local rivers, lakes, or ponds.
- Plant trees or plants in your community.
- Create an awareness campaign for benefits of STEM education.
- Online and in-person campaigns are equally beneficial. Target an audience and follow-up. Partner up with non-profit STEM education organization.
- Create an awareness campaign for benefits of recycling.
- Collect and recycle cans and donate money to STEM non-profit organization.
- Volunteer at local museums.
Community Opportunities in Arts & Humanities
- Volunteer in summer camps in areas of art, dance, music, writing, learning a second language, photography, cooking, baking, graphic design, or performing arts.
- Volunteer with local public theater productions.
- Create and organize a 1-2 hour Arts & Humanities workshop or summer camp for children. (Examples of topics are: dance, singing, playing an instrument, creative writing (poems, plays, short stories), performing arts, foreign language, photography, music appreciation, painting, drawing, sculpting, jewelry making, and various arts and crafts.
- Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive arts and humanities workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop. You can partner up with businesses and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to elementary principals, local musicians, photographers, teachers, and local craft stores in your area to help you with the project. If you are good at something, share it with others.
- **Please note: This applies to ANY given topic, activity, or subject you have exceptional knowledge of and would like to share.
- Have a bake sale to collect funds for a charity of your choice.
- Organize a performance group and visit local hospitals and retirement communities.
- Create an awareness campaign for benefits of art education.
- Collect gently used books and donate to local library or children’s home.
- Create cards and send to soldiers serving overseas and military personnel.
- Create baked goods and donate to bereaved families, senior citizens, or non-profit retreats.
- Cook meals for bereaved families, families in need, or senior citizens.
- Host a 1-2 hour Arts and Humanities workshop for senior citizens. (Examples of topics are: social media use, phone app information, singing, playing an instrument, creative writing (poems, plays, short stories), performing arts, foreign language, photography, music appreciation, painting, drawing, sculpting, jewelry making, and various arts and crafts.
Community Service Opportunities in Public Service (Law Enforcement, Law, Education, Public Safety, Health and Science, Public and Government Administration
- Volunteer at local public hospitals and clinics.
- Volunteer at local public legal aid office.
- Tutor children after school.
- Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
- Volunteer in Vacation Bible School or other religious camps.
- Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to encourage kids to read (Examples: Harry Potter, Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Chronicles of Narnia, Captain Underpants, Goosebumps, Ramona the Pest, The Spiderwich Chronicles, Junie B. Jomes, The Berenstain Bears).
- Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop. You can partner up with businesses, local libraries, bookstores and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to elementary principals, bookshop owners, and teachers in your area to help you with the project. If you are good at something, share it with others.
- Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to expose kids to community service opportunities and engage them in their community.
- Join Big Brother or Big Sister organization and become a mentor.
- Become a member of a law enforcement explorers program and participate in their community service programs.
- Create an awareness campaign on how bullying affects victims and ways to empower victims (Cyberbullying, sexual harassment, physical bullying, bystander effect)
- Create an awareness campaign on a specific health issue you feel strongly about (Examples: Breast cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart disease and high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, Stroke, HIV, Tobacco Use, Opioid epidemic, Alcohol abuse, Obesity, Prescription Drug overdose, ADHD, Depression, Muscular Dystrophy, ALS.)
- Foster animal(s) from local animal shelter and help find them a permanent home.
- Collect dog/cat food and donate to local animal shelter.
- Raise funds and donate to a non-profit charity of your choice. (See list below)
- Raise awareness on a specific mission of a charity or non-profit organization.
- Make “feel good” kits with shampoo, soap, lip balm, toothbrush, tooth paste, and body cream and donate to local shelters.
- Collect gently used clothes and donate to local shelters.
- Organize a toy drive for children living in shelters or children’s homes.
Community Service Opportunities in the Business Industry
- Volunteer at local food bank.
- Collect non-perishable food items and donate to local food bank.
- Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to encourage kids to explore business topics (marketing, sales, social media campaigns, Excel, powerpoint, graphic design, Audio/Video production, business start up’s, import/export, online shops, information technology, journalism, broadcasting)
- Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop. You can partner up with businesses, software companies, local internet providers, and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to school principals, bookshop owners, and teachers in your area to help you with the project. If you are good at something, share it with others
- Create an awareness campaign for mission of non-profit group in the business industry.
- Code 2040
- 500 Startups
- Skees Family Foundation
- Newme Start Up Accelerator
- Score Free Small Business Advise
- Develop and publish a local scholarship directory for your area.
- Create a PSA to bring awareness on a specific topic or issue.
- Become a certified lifeguard and volunteer at public pool or rec center.
- Volunteer at local rec centers or Boys and Girls Clubs.
Community Service in the Areas of Sports and Recreational Activities
- Volunteer to coach local youth group.
- Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to encourage kids to be more active (Examples: swimming, running, cheerleading, football, basketball, golf, hockey, weight training, tennis, kayaking, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, yoga).
- Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop. You can partner up with businesses, gyms, coaches, and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. If you are good at something, share it with others.
- Run a race promoting a charity of your choice.
- Get sponsors and create a shirt using their logos. Donate the money earned to the charity you are helping.
- Run a local charity race.
- Create an awareness campaign on health issues like child obesity, benefits of exercise, and healthy eating habits.
- Volunteer at local charity races.
- Volunteer at local Special Olympics events.
- Create awareness for mission of non-profit groups in the area of sports
Remember to follow your passion and let it guide your volunteer work and community service. Serving your community and helping those in need is an incredible fulfilling adventure which will surely bring you amazing experiences and develop life-long friends.
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