Volunteer Opportunities
The number of benefits to volunteering are endless! Volunteering offers a way to build work experience, contribute to your community, create a professional network, participate in meaningful experiences, meet other people in the area and help you construct your resume or college application.
Recording Your Volunteer Hours
When you volunteer, it's a smart idea to keep track of the activities you contribute to. Keeping a volunteering log is a great way to not only track your hours, but track the types of work you have been completing. To download a copy of a volunteer log, click here. You can read back through your log when you are constructing your resume, filling out college applications or writing a scholarship essay. These notes will help you push through writers block!
Volunteer Organizations
Below are a list of organizations looking for student volunteers.
Hillsboro Parks and Recreation
Hillsboro Boys and Girls Club
Jackson Bottom Wetlands
Hillsboro Public Library
Bonnie Hayes Animal Shelter
Hillsboro Police Department
HomePlate Youth Services
Friends of Trees
Hands on Greater Portland
Community Action
Hillsboro Boys and Girls Club
Jackson Bottom Wetlands
Hillsboro Public Library
Bonnie Hayes Animal Shelter
Hillsboro Police Department
HomePlate Youth Services
Friends of Trees
Hands on Greater Portland
Community Action
To find more opportunities be sure to check out volunteer search engines such as
Volunteer Match and Hands on Portland!
Volunteer Match and Hands on Portland!
World Affairs Council of Oregon: HIGH SCHOOL EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES: Travel to Chicago, Washington, D.C. or Tulsa, OK. If you are wanting to go further, travel to Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, on host community in Brazil, Santiago, Buenos Aires, one host community in Chile or Argentina. For more information go to link below:
worldoregon.org/news/international-visitors/student-and-educator-applications-now-open-for-2017-youth-exchanges
worldoregon.org/news/international-visitors/student-and-educator-applications-now-open-for-2017-youth-exchanges
Educational Opportunities
International Opportunities in High School and "Gap Year":
State Department-funded exchanges and scholarships included:
• Youth Ambassadors Program to Chile and Argentina (www.wlyap.tumblr.com/apply)
• Youth Ambassadors Program to Brazil (www.wlyap.tumblr.com/apply)
• Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (www.iylep.tumblr.com/highschoolenglish)
• YES Abroad (www.yes-abroad.org)
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (www.usagermanyscholarship.org)
• National Security Language Initiative for Youth (www.nsliforyouth.org)
• Critical Language Scholarship Program (www.clscholarship.org)
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (www.iie.org/gilman)
• Digital Young Leaders Exchange Program (www.tinyurl.com/dylep2017)
Additional organizations and programs to check-out:
• AFS-USA (www.afsusa.org)
• Andeo (www.andeo.org)
• Carpe Diem Education (www.carpediemeducation.org)
• Carpe Mundi (www.carpemundi.org)
• Diversity Abroad (www.diversityabroad.com)
• Education Travel & Culture (www.edutrav.org)
• The Experiment in International Living (www.experiment.org)
• Global Works Community Fund (www.globalworksfund.org)
• Mobility International USA (www.miusa.org)
• Partners of the Americas: Costa Rica (www.studentexchange-oregoncostarica.com)
• Portland-Bologna Sister City Association (www.portland-bologna.org)
• Sexual Assault and Support for Americans Abroad & Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center (www.sashaa.org www.866uswomen.org)
• The Traveling School (www.travelingschool.com)
• World Affairs Council of Oregon (www.worldoregon.org)
State Department-funded exchanges and scholarships included:
• Youth Ambassadors Program to Chile and Argentina (www.wlyap.tumblr.com/apply)
• Youth Ambassadors Program to Brazil (www.wlyap.tumblr.com/apply)
• Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (www.iylep.tumblr.com/highschoolenglish)
• YES Abroad (www.yes-abroad.org)
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (www.usagermanyscholarship.org)
• National Security Language Initiative for Youth (www.nsliforyouth.org)
• Critical Language Scholarship Program (www.clscholarship.org)
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (www.iie.org/gilman)
• Digital Young Leaders Exchange Program (www.tinyurl.com/dylep2017)
Additional organizations and programs to check-out:
• AFS-USA (www.afsusa.org)
• Andeo (www.andeo.org)
• Carpe Diem Education (www.carpediemeducation.org)
• Carpe Mundi (www.carpemundi.org)
• Diversity Abroad (www.diversityabroad.com)
• Education Travel & Culture (www.edutrav.org)
• The Experiment in International Living (www.experiment.org)
• Global Works Community Fund (www.globalworksfund.org)
• Mobility International USA (www.miusa.org)
• Partners of the Americas: Costa Rica (www.studentexchange-oregoncostarica.com)
• Portland-Bologna Sister City Association (www.portland-bologna.org)
• Sexual Assault and Support for Americans Abroad & Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center (www.sashaa.org www.866uswomen.org)
• The Traveling School (www.travelingschool.com)
• World Affairs Council of Oregon (www.worldoregon.org)
Leadership Opportunities
Leadership roles are a great way to develop skills, make connections and create the change that you want to see in the world. The programs below offer great leadership opportunities for teens looking to gain a valuable experience. Remember to log your hours and experience. This will help you with scholarship and college applications as well as resume building and work experience.
YAC: Hillsboro Youth Advisory Council
Oregon Zoo Teens
Washington County Search and Rescue
SMART Reading Program
CURE Program (paid Internship!)
Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI)- gain first hand knowledge of research methods
Oregon Zoo Teens
Washington County Search and Rescue
SMART Reading Program
CURE Program (paid Internship!)
Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI)- gain first hand knowledge of research methods
Click here to download a complete list of volunteer opportunities.
Promotes community service hours, travel to places like Peru and Baltimore: rusticpathways.com