Last updated by Jordan Galerkin on 02/16/2024

For many schools and school service clubs, it can be difficult to match students with verified volunteer opportunities, and there are a variety of ways to accomplish this. Some schools may require community service for high school students to graduate, and others may award additional credits or diploma endorsements for such service. In addition, service clubs like Beta Club, Key Club, and National Honor Societies encourage and require community service hours.

In some cases, schools may take a hands-off approach to community service requirements and require students to find and verify their own volunteer opportunities. However, with additional guidance and support, students are more likely to complete their community service hours and have a worthwhile experience doing so.

Student Volunteer Opportunities

When it comes to coordinating high school volunteer opportunities, it can be difficult to know where to begin. A good place to start is at the school itself. 

Students can volunteer to lead school tours for prospective students, work at concessions stands during athletic events, or tutor other students. There are several benefits to starting volunteer work right at school. The volunteer work benefits the school and its students, and it’s easy for student volunteers to sign up for and attend.

When it comes to volunteer opportunities outside of school, these can be more difficult to find and verify. It’s always a good idea to start in the immediate community to identify potential student volunteer opportunities. Some programs that are easy to vet are chapters of large national organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club of America, and the Red Cross.

There are also a variety of organizations found in most cities that accept student volunteers. These can include animal shelters, thrift stores, food banks, parks programs, and more. While offsite volunteer opportunities are often enriching and accommodate a wider range of student volunteer interests, there are concerns around vetting and verifying such opportunities.

What if there was a way for students to find verified opportunities, collect opportunity supervisor signatures, and submit their hours online all in one place? With Track it Forward student volunteer time tracking software, they can!

Track it Forward + Community Service Directory

Track it Forward offers an all-in-one solution for high school students to track volunteer hours. School administrators or club advisors can set up milestones for students to track their progress toward hours requirements. Set up events and collect RSVPs, which is well-suited for any school volunteer opportunities like athletic events and tutoring.

For off-site volunteer opportunities, require advanced verifications like signatures, selfies, or GPS location. There’s also a student-friendly mobile app for logging hours and viewing progress on-the-go.

In addition, our highly anticipated Community Service Directory feature has launched! With this new feature, school administrators or club advisors can invite organizations in the community to submit student volunteer opportunities to the school’s own Community Service Directory. Organizations can list different student volunteer opportunities, and school administrators can review and approve them to be listed in the Community Service Directory. Students can then browse the directory for vetted volunteer opportunities and email the organizations directly, all through Track it Forward!

If your school or student service club is looking for a one-stop solution to improve the student volunteer experience, look no further than Track it Forward. Track, verify, and approve hours, schedule events, and vet high school volunteer opportunities all in one place. For more info on how your school can use Track it Forward, click here.