Make a Difference Day was celebrated earlier this month. Serving as a volunteer is one way the citizens of our county— from schoolchildren to senior citizens— can make a difference.
The GCPS family contributes to the county’s quality of life by giving back through districtwide campaigns like Relay For Life and United Way as well as local school charitable activities and hands-on service days like the recent Great Days of Service. (You may not know that school district teams raised more than 60% of the $1.5 million raised in the 2017 Gwinnett Relay effort in support of the American Cancer Society.)
We are proud that Gwinnett County schools, students, employees, and families are active in support of our community, participating in service projects and fundraisers that benefit our schools, those in need, and other causes. And many in our community also offer their support in our schools in many ways… as business partners, mentors, Academy advisors and exhibitors, JA volunteers, Foundation contributors, and more.
If you’re interested in encouraging your student to volunteer, you can find tips like these in a Be There parent tipsheet:
- Encourage your student to get involved in at least one extracurricular activity in school! Our schools offer many opportunities to help others.
- Give your teen the freedom to choose to get involved where his or her interest and skills lie. The experience will be more meaningful and your child is more likely to stay involved over time.
- Communication is key. Show your interest and strengthen your own relationship with your child.
- Get involved yourself! Model involvement, perhaps even volunteering alongside your student!
The tipsheet also shares the benefits for student volunteers— from learning life skills and having positive adult role models to developing social responsibility, empathy, and compassion. If you’re looking for ways to volunteer as a family, in the same tipsheet, you’ll find United Way’s Top 10 signs of a family-friendly volunteer experience, along with suggestions for volunteering together as a family. Here’s another great resource on family volunteering from PBS.