DoSomething.org Pilots New Volunteer Credits Program for Students in Partnership With National Association of Secondary School Principals and Rhode Island Department of Education

NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DoSomething.org, a youth-led movement for good, has launched a pilot Volunteer Credits Program that rewards students for the time they spend participating in, and completing, its volunteer, social change, and civic action campaigns. The program is being developed in response to growing interest from its members, who are comprised of 13- to 25-year-olds. In a recent survey, 84% of DoSomething members expressed interest in the organization validating its campaigns with proof of volunteerism.

Backed by user testing and research to meet both student and educator requirements for the criteria needed to reward young people with official volunteer credits, the program aims to provide a new opportunity for the increasing number of high school students across the country who are looking to fulfill their school's mandated volunteerism as a requirement for graduation.¹ Initial feedback from educators called the program "a credible resource for students" and "something that will resonate."

Out of the 300+ active campaigns on its site, DoSomething has chosen a select group of high-impact campaigns that are eligible for volunteer credits when completed. Once a student completes one or more of those campaigns, they are prompted to upload a photo to DoSomething's website to prove their impact. A DoSomething staffer then reviews and approves their participation, awarding a digital Certificate of Volunteering upon acceptance, which verifies their volunteer hours. The hours awarded for each eligible campaign are based on the average time it takes for DoSomething members to complete that campaign, and participation in DoSomething's campaigns is of no cost to young people or to educators. DoSomething members who were part of the organization's early user testing described the experience as "very easy to follow" and "something I would like to be involved with."

"We're extremely excited about the potential of this pilot program for students," says Marly Leighton, Director of Campaigns at DoSomething. "Not only will they be able to earn volunteer credits in a way that helps make an impact and transform their communities through our cause campaigns, but they'll also be joining a new community of millions of young change-makers, and strengthening their leadership skills. It's not the traditional kind of volunteer credit you'd see on resumes and college applications, and we think that's a major plus for both students and educators."

To launch this pilot Volunteer Credits Program, DoSomething has partnered with two respected school and student organizations. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) will be including information about the Program in the resources they provide to their network of 35,000 schools, with the goal of advancing middle level and high school education.

"For nearly 100 years, NASSP's student programs—such as the National Honor Societies and National Student Council—has developed student leaders who are dedicated to building a climate of caring and tolerance through volunteerism and service," stated Nara Lee, director of student leadership at NASSP. "We are excited to expand our partnership with DoSomething.org and participate in the Volunteer Credits Program to formally recognize student leaders for their commitment to making a positive impact in their schools and communities."

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), whose goal is to ensure that all Rhode Island students are ready for success in college, careers, and life, will be spreading the word about the program to its communities, families, civic leaders, and all educators as part of its mission to ensure that Rhode Island leads the way in public education.

The DoSomething Volunteer Credits Program is currently limited to students who are in the NASSP or RIDE communities, and DoSomething is eager to listen to, and synthesize, user and partner feedback from this pilot to inform future iterations of the Volunteer Credits Program, with the goal of being able to open up its availability to all students nationwide in the near future. Those affiliated with either program can visit the NASSP or RIDE pages to participate.

About DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is the largest organization exclusively for young people and social change. We're activating millions of young people to do good in every US area code and in 131 countries. Using our digital platform, members join DoSomething's volunteer and civic action campaigns to make offline impact at scale. Our members have clothed half of America's homeless youth. They've cleaned up 3.7 million cigarette butts. They've run the world's largest youth-led sports equipment drive. And more! Young people have the power and the passion to transform their communities -- we help them get it done. Let's Do This!

About NASSP
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council.

About Rhode Island Department of Education
The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) is a state agency in Rhode Island that oversees the elementary and secondary education system from pre-Kindergarten through high school.

¹ https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/will-your-child-need-to-volunteer-to-graduate

SOURCE DoSomething.org

Related Links

http://www.dosomething.org