Volunteer Opportunities for Teens and Tweens

Students entering ninth grade in Palm Beach County must complete 20 hours of community service in order to graduate from high school. In addition, middle and high school students must complete community service hours to be members of Honor Society or to become bar/bat mitzvah. Luckily, there are many opportunities to volunteer locally.
Those in sixth grade and above may become a Reading Buddy at the West Boca Library. On September 2nd, beginning at 10 a.m., applications will be available at the children’s information desk. A reading buddy reads to elementary school children and plays literacy games with them. The student must commit to Mondays at 5:30 p.m. for 45 minutes for the school year. The program starts September 8th.
The West Boca Medical Center accepts volunteers over age 15 who can commit to a 4 hour shift per week. Students may staff the gift shop, attend daily rounds or provide hospitality services. Call 561-488-8178 or 561-488-8293 for more information.
Do you like animals? You can volunteer at the Tri-County Animal Rescue if you are over 16 years of age. Student volunteers clean the cat room and feed feed the cats between 8 to 8:30 a.m. Once a volunteer is familiar with the cat room, he/she can help answer questions from prospective adopters between 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is located at 21287 Boca Rio Road in Boca Raton. Call 561-482-8110 for more information.
Nature lovers can also volunteer at Daggerwing Nature Center. Teens ages 15 and up who are willing to commit to 2 hours per week for 6 months can volunteer at the Center. Volunteers greet visitors, assist with the office and special events and help care for the animals. For more information, call 561-629-8760.
For more volunteer opportunities, check out these sites:
Volunteens
Boca Helping Hands
Volunteer Match
If you know of volunteer opportunities, please email us at [email protected].