Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students
For high school students, volunteer work of any kind is a laudable pursuit, possessing more than enough intrinsic value to make it worth your time. Yet, dedicating your time to charitable endeavor can also help you to gain real-world experience in an area of academic and/or career interest. Perhaps you have an academic/career interest in healthcare, computer science, education, helping people with disabilities, animal rights, community organizing, assisting developing nations, conservationism, politics, history, or eldercare support. No matter your passion, there is likely a perfect volunteering opportunity out there for you—there’s just that tiny matter of finding it.
College Transitions’ list of Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students is designed to help with you search by highlighting nationwide organizations that work with American teens from coast to coast. Of course, local opportunities can be located via your guidance counselor, word-of-mouth, or by utilizing any of the various search databases that assist with location-specific hunts. In the list that follows, we highlight whether each organization has opportunities that are in-person or virtual. Additionally, we have categorized the volunteer roles based not just on the type of organization but also, when applicable, the skill demands associated with the position (e.g. doing web development for an animal adoption group would be both “Animal Welfare” and “Computer Science”). Lastly, we list any available eligibility requirements; some organizations accept 9th graders (or younger) while others are open only to 18-year-olds (presumably seniors).
Mobile users: To view additional data columns, click the + icon to the left of the organization’s name
| Organization | Virtual/In-Person | Category | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's Association | In-Person | Health | Varies |
| American Cancer Society | Both | Health | High School |
| American Heart Association | Both | Health | High School |
| American Red Cross Youth | Both | Health | k-12 |
| Americares | Both | Health | High School |
| Americorps - YouthBuild | In-Person | Housing | 16 years old |
| Amnesty International | Both | Human Rights | High School |
| ASPCA | In-Person | Animal Rights/Welfare | 16 years old |
| Be My Eyes | Virtual | Disability Support | 17 years old |
| Benetech | Both | Technology/Disability Support | N/A |
| Best Buddies | Both | Disability Support | k-12 |
| Big Brothers, Big Sisters - School Program | In-Person | Leadership/Mentoring | 16, 17 (with parent permission) |
| Bookshare | Virtual | Disability Support/Literacy | 15 years old |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of America | In-Person | Education/Mentoring | Varies by location |
| Bridges to Community (Central America) | In-Person | International Service | 15-18 years old |
| Broadreach Global Summer Adventures | In-Person | International Service | Middle and High School |
| Children's National Health System | In-Person | Health | 18 (seniors only) |
| Code for Social Good | Virtual | Multiple/Computer Science | N/A |
| Crisis Text Line | Virtual | Mental Health | 18 (seniors only), need references |
| DonateCode | Virtual | Multiple/Computer Science | N/A |
| Feeding America | Both | Hunger | 12 years old |
| Girls Who Code | In-Person | Education/Computer Science | 18 years old (seniors only) |
| Global Leadership Adventures | In-Person | International Service | 14-18 years old |
| Global Routes | In-Person | International Service | 9th-12th grade |
| Global Vision International | Both | International/Sustainable Development | 15-17, 18 for some trips |
| Global Volunteers | In-Person | International Service | 18 (without parent) |
| Goodwill Industries International | In-Person | Mentoring/Donations/Fundrasining | 16 years old |
| Habitat for Humanity | In-Person | Shelter/Construction | 15/16 years old |
| International Volunteer HQ | In-Person | International Service | 16 years old |
| Learning Ally | Both | Disability Support | High School |
| Learn To Be Tutoring | Virtual | Tutoring | High School |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Both | Fundraising/Leadership/Advocacy | High School |
| Meals on Wheels | In-Person | Hunger/Edlercare | 18 years old (seniors only) |
| National Archives | Virtual | History/Archival Work | High School |
| National Area Health Education Center Organization | In-Person | Health | Grades 9-12 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society | Both | Health/Advocacy | High School |
| National Park Service | In-Person | Conservation/Environment | Under 18 needs parent permission |
| Operation Gratitude | In-Person | Military | Age 13 and up |
| Peace Players International | In-Person | Athletics/Diplomacy | 18 (for opportunities abroad) |
| Projects Abroad | In-Person | International Service | 15 years old |
| Reading is Fundamental | In-Person | Literacy/Education | 14 years old |
| Rock the Vote | Both | Politics | High School |
| Rotary Club - Interact | In-Person | Leadership/Health/Sustainable Development | Ages 12 to 18 |
| School on Wheels | In-Person | Literacy/Education | Under 16 needs to be with parent |
| Special Olympics | In-Person | Disablity Support | High School |
| Student Environmental Action Coalition | In-Person | Conservation/Environment/Advocacy | High School |
| TechGirlz | In-Person | Computer Science/Education | High School |
| TED Talk Translators | Virtual | Foreign Language | Bilingual |
| TeensGive.org | Virtual | Education | 9th grade |
| The Humane Society | In-Person | Animal Rights/Welfare | 16 years old |
| The Salvation Army | In-Person | Hunger/Disaster Relief/Rehabilitation | Varies by location |
| Translators Without Borders | Virtual | Foreign Language | Bilingual |
| Uganda Village Project | In-Person | International Service/Public Health | 18 (seniors only) |
| UNICEF | Both | Health/Advocacy | 13 years old |
| United Nations Volunteers | In-Person | International Service | 18 (seniors only) |
| United Planet | In-Person | International Service | 15-17 for some programs, or 18 |
| United Way | In-Person | Hunger, Disaster Relief, Education | All ages |
| USDA Earth Team Volunteers | In-Person | Conservation/Environment | 14 years old |
| Veterans Affairs | In-Person | Veterans/Health/OT/PT | High School |
| Volunteering Journeys | In-Person | International Service | 17 years old |
| YMCA | In-Person | Education/Athletics/Leadership | 14 years old |
| Youth Volunteer Corps | In-Person | Education/Health/Arts & Culture | Age 11-18 |
| Kidsave | Both | Child Welfare | High School |
| Free Peer Tutoring | Virtual | Tutoring | High School |
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