The Next Generation: Kids Inspiring Change

Children today often volunteer without knowing it. For example, teachers allow students to read aloud to younger classes and parents encourage teens to help a neighbor in distress. Of course, these my seem simple, but they lay the groundwork for later commitments to long-term volunteer work. The impacts of these children who want to change the world are not only helping those in need, but the future of their own society. Children learn in practice that it is better to give than to receive and volunteering develop these ideas by teaching lesson of social equality; addressing problems they witness in childhood. While volunteering is a wonderful act, many high schools are now requiring that community service hours are mandatory to graduate. This is a debate in many states, making many wonder if this is the best way to get the younger generation involved. It may seem like a wonderful idea, but by placing a consequence on those who do not volunteer has made some worry that giving to others has lost it original purpose yet volunteering is not only changing those who need help, but also giving to those who are donating their time.


In 2007 about 28% of the population from the ages of 16-24 was involved in charitable volunteering according to the United States Bureau of Labor. There are no official statistics for those under the age of sixteen yet there are many of these children who have changed their communities and reached out. The youth have been involved in giving to the non-profit world for years. Many church groups, temples and youth groups have joined in doing projects for charity. But what is more remarkable are the children who are not involved in any groups, but who are individually inspiring change and giving to their communities. One young member for the Calabasas community was inspired by the charity Locks of Love . Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age eighteen suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. There mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by using donated ponytails to hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on individual financial needs. Moriah. at age 13, to get others involved by inviting everyone after her Bat-Mitzvah service to come to the hair salon and donate their hair with her. Moriah had gotten almost fifteen of her girl friends to come cut ten inches off their hair, and all these girls (besides me) were under the age of sixteen years old. Because of her advocacy, I was one of thirty people to donate hair in honor of Moriah to Locks of Love. What is remarkable about this is story is that Moriah is one of hundreds of young girls, who have created events in their neighborhoods for the same cause. Moriah's individual contribution allowed her to teach young girls like herself about giving to these less fortunate and in return, receiving the feeling of helping someone in need. Entertainment Tonight did a special on Moriah's efforts and can be seen here.

Moriah’s efforts reflect those who have not been required to donate time or hair to charity, but when she is in high school she might be required to do hours in order to gradate... In Maryland, it's even the law--a high-school student must log 75 hours of community service in order to graduate. The Obama president-elect’s website changed all that with the announcement–just three days after the 2008 election–that students will be “required” to “serve” and perform “community service”. Although it is great for everyone to be involved in their community it can be seen as a sad reflection on society that has to legislate or force its young people to volunteer in community service projects.

Others argue that when community service is required for graduation it sparks creativity in students and propels them to create projects that may have a profound impact on the local community. Researcher Diane Hedin indicates that the biggest problem students must overcome in school is a lack of motivation He says that "[b]oredom is probably a function of what seems to many students an unfathomable gap between the curriculum and their everyday lives...Community service [learning] provides the critical missing link for many students, an opportunity to apply academic learning to real human needs and to make the knowledge gained usable in one's thinking beyond the situation in which the learning occurred.” When students work with community leaders in public service they start to make connections that may help them later in their careers or life. Overall, according, Peggy Thoits and Lyndi Hewitt students have shown increases in positive feelings and mental health, and decreases in depression and stress.


I believe that the more the younger generation gets involved, the more change that can occur. Requirement may help spark someone’s interest in leadership position but there always be those, like Moriah, who have no laws stipulating what they can do, who will work to change the world. Volunteering promotes and helps young children who will become compassionate adults who are willing to see that they can change the world.