How to Make Up For The Volunteer Gap In Your Child's Resume

Covid has had a really big impact on our children, especially when it comes to volunteer opportunities and applying to college. 

In the past, students were able to sign up for volunteer opportunities and resume builders with very few barriers. We now see many students who don’t know what to put on their resume for volunteer work or extracurricular activities. They never had a chance with social distancing and everything being closed over the last few years due to Covid. 

Across the board, we have heard that colleges are looking for students who will participate and add to their community. Volunteer work is crucial when applying to colleges because it shows them that you have already taken the initiative to get involved. 

So what can your child do now to fill that volunteer gap on their resume?

Here are some of the strategies we use with our students that have a big impact, in less time. 

Senior Centers / Nursing Homes/ Assisted Living Facilities - These areas are not seeing the same level of volunteers that they had before.

• Tech help: How to use their phone, send emails for them, how to pull up google maps for where they previously lived vs. how it looks now. 
• Create game night: Take old board games and play checkers, monopoly… 
• Offer to record their history : Create a list of questions - Their favorite childhood memories — Where they lived, favorite teacher, favorite memory of their children, toughest time they think our world has faced, favorite place to visit, favorite music. Write in a pretty journal type book you can buy on amazon - or with permission record on your phone — Send to their family — Great conversation starter next time they see their family. 
• If you play an instrument - Offer to do a music hour once a month — This gives you great practice and they will love listening!

If your local senior centers are not currently accepting volunteers, ask them about other ways you could get involved to help. 

A few other options range from volunteering at local food banks, book/coat drives or even taking a free course at coursera.org to show admissions that you're willing to go above and beyond. 

Interested in learning about more ways to get involved? Click the video below to view a more in-depth video explaining all the ways your child can help set themselves apart from the crowd. 

APRIL SCHOLARSHIPS 

We've put together a list of awesome scholarships with deadlines in April that you may qualify for! These scholarships are the perfect way to make your dream school a little more affordable.

See a scholarship that you might qualify for but not sure where to start? Want some help writing an essay or editing a video? Book a free 15-minute consultation with KMAC to see how we can help you complete your scholarships and make college easier for your budget!