A child who participates in community service also has strong positive feelings about herself and her place in society.

Consider volunteering with your child. Children are more likely to want to volunteer if their parents set a good example. Here are some reasons why community service will help your child:

• She’ll be less likely to take bad risks, such as doing drugs.
• She’ll have higher self-esteem, be more responsible and feel more connected to her community.
• She’ll have stronger social skills.
• She’ll be more likely to stay in school. Volunteers also tend to have regular attendance and perform well.
• She’ll learn valuable skills. These can include how to deal with different kinds of people. Or she might learn how to write a strong letter or how to organize a group. These will help her in school and for the rest of her life.
• She’ll meet people, such as the heads of agencies or businesses. They can be references for her in the future.

If your child is not sure how to go about getting involved, here are some places to get help:

• School guidance office.
• Local libraries.
• Religious groups.
• Community service groups.

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