ORGANIZATION: VolunTEENnation: Teen Volunteer Opportunities

In 2009, then 17 year old  Simone Bernstein and her brother Jake started a St. Louis organization called Volunteen, which allowed youth (from ages ten to seventeen) to find volunteering opportunities that cater to their interests. All the user had to do is type in their age, zip code, and category of volunteering, and they’d matched with pre-screened organizations.

Since then, Jake and Simone have gone national with the founding of VolunteenNation.  Now teens around the country can look for volunteer opportunities, and get their voices heard.  And Simone and Jake are challenging NPO’s around the country to offer volunteer opportunities for teens, so that teens can make a difference.

Here’ what Simone said recently in an essay she wrote about VolunteenNation for the Wyman Center, a St. Louis NPO that also focuses on teens.

Simone Bernstein of VolunTEENnation. Photo courtesy of Teen Vogue.

“We knew there were incredible opportunities for youth to volunteer throughout the United States at local libraries, serving on mayors’ youth advisory councils and at local hospitals, so we decided to create a national website for youth to explore and share volunteer opportunities in their communities and to encourage nonprofit agencies to find ways to include youth and families as volunteers. Every library, food bank and shelter can find ways to include youth volunteers. Youth want to get involved. VolunTEENnation.org wants America’s teens to give back to the community. ”  READ THE REST OF THE ESSAY.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Adam Gertsacov is the co-founder and co-organizer of Digital Family Summit.  He wears many hats, including those of a professional clown, an author and publisher, an artist/educator, a non-profit administrator, a P.T. Barnum impersonator, a flea circus impresario, and the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland.