Community Service Projects

Many youth are interested in making a difference in their communities by putting energy into community service projects.

Kretzmann and Schmitz (1995) note that according to recent surveys, 13- to 17-year-old youth have participated in the following projects:

• "Interviewing community leaders

• Drawing land-use and planning maps

• Devising a development strategy with new businesses

• 'Shadowing,' then advising executives

• Writing 'walking tour' guidebooks

• Starting and operating a credit union

• Leading community cooking classes

• Building displays for businesses

• Conducting oral history interviews

• Writing and publishing an ethnic history of the school and neighborhood

• Painting murals in the community

• Rehabbing apartments; building affordable housing

• Repairing pipe organs

• Beginning union apprenticeships

• Organizing to save a public library

• Making and selling placemats for restaurants

• Publishing a neighborhood newspaper

• Mediating racial disputes

• Developing an adult literacy program

• Processing recyclables

• Producing and reporting for a TV news program

• Creating dance troupes for community events

• Emceeing community events

• Designing T-shirts for neighborhood groups and events"

References