I teach an elective class, which content purposefully and intentionally prepares low-income or at-risk students for college. High school students are being asked in many ways to set themselves apart from their classmates in regard to college admissions or scholarship opportunities. One way is to volunteer. Schools and communities have abundant opportunities for volunteerism so it might be hard to choose the right one for you!

Individuals volunteer for a variety of reasons and here a few: to gain leadership skills, to perform civic duty, to share a skill, or to keep busy. For high school students, volunteer work can be part of a college application or may be used to earn a scholarship.

When students write about their volunteer experience, be sure they include the following:

• The commitment made to the cause over a long period of time

• Include personal anecdotes about how they enjoyed the work and the reward

• Use power language in your description

Power words include leader, service, and initiative, and are more effective than words such as required, forced to, or asked.

There are more reasons to volunteer beyond the college application. Volunteering comes with many benefits, including to feel good about giving back to your community, to be a change agent for a cause you believe in, or to help someone make their life better.

Sometimes recruiting volunteers can be challenging. Have your students practice writing powerful content in an appeal to their peers persuading them to volunteer at their favorite charity or cause. Share the following writing ideas with students so their appeal will be successful in recruiting volunteers.

• Power opening. If you are using social media or a paper announcement, this could be an image, slogan, or a question.

• Present the whole picture. In the body of your message, identify the problem, potential solutions, outcomes, benefits, and contact information.

• Be clear. Messages must easily be understood. To test clarity, ask others to read your message and get feedback.

• Be invitational. People feel honored to be invited, rather than told, to take part of a service learning opportunity.

Download the Persuading Others to Volunteer Writing Activity to help students practice writing powerful content into a brief, written appeal.