PACER Center
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Champions for Children with Disabilities
Preparing for Employment: On the Home FrontThis Parent Brief describes ways in which youth and families can help youth effectively explore work-based learning outside of school settings.
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Volunteer Experiences
The value of involving students with and without disabilities in volunteer and community service activities has received increasing attention in recent years. Participation in volunteer activities has been linked to increased engagement in democratic processes, lowered likelihood of dropping out, improved transition from school to work, and improved educational attitudes and performance.
Typically, youth with disabilities have been seen as the recipients of philanthropic services rather than as providers of such services themselves. However, voluntary service, community service, and service learning offer many possibilities for youth with disabilities. They can contribute to their communities and experience the resulting benefits -- opportunities to learn, work experience, a sense of belonging, and respect. Such service also promotes full participation of people with disabilities in society.
Students get a chance to apply academic skills to a work or volunteer setting and develop relevant soft skills such as teamwork and time management. Getting involved in meaningful activities outside the classroom helps students feel more committed to their education, making them more likely to stay in school. l In addition to exploring potential careers, students develop networks that can help them find employment. Students with disabilities have an opportunity to assess the impact of their disability in employment or volunteer settings and consider issues such as disclosure of a disability and job accommodations.
Volunteerism & Service Learning Links
- ServiceLeader.org provides helpful information for volunteers of ages including a guide to Volunteering Outdoors in Parks and Wilderness Areas, Volunteering with Your Family, Volunteering for People Under 18, and "virtual volunteering" -- also known as online volunteering
- ServeMinnesota, provides information about service opportunities and programs, in Minnesota
- Minnesota Service Inclusion Project
- National Service Inclusion Project can help you learn more about service opportunities, workshops, events, and conferences at a national level
- AmeriCorps service learning opportunities are open to U.S. citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents aged 17 or older. Members serve full or part time over a 10- to 12-month period. a After successfully completing a term of service, AmeriCorps members who are enrolled in the National Service Trust are eligible to receive an education award.
- Impact: Feature Issue on Volunteerism by Persons with Disabilities
- The International Volunteer Programs Association has an up-to-date search site for international volunteer and internship opportunities
- National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Web site
- Volunteer Match, potential volunteers enter their zip code to find volunteer opportunities.
- Information on volunteering abroad "Volunteering Abroad: Receiving More Than You Give," an article by Pamela Houston, National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange.
Also see Mobility International - "Leveling the Path to Participation: Volunteering and Civil Engagement among Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances" -- this federal study based on interviews with 3,178 American youth ages 12 to 18 conducted between January and March of 2005 has found that volunteering produces many positive benefits for teens from low-income backgrounds.
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require 
