Volunteer from home, earn service hours
Students in grades 7–12: You can help others without leaving home and earn volunteer hours, too! This online teen volunteer program is completely flexible: no library card required; no application or training; volunteer when it fits your schedule; no minimum or maximum hours. Do what you can, when you can! And you'll make a positive difference in the world.
Summer program runs from June 4 through August 7, 2022.
How to Volunteer
How to volunteer
- Browse the "volunteer activities" listed below. Choose a project that interests you.
- There is no minimum or maximum for the number of activities you complete to earn hours.
- Follow the directions for completing the activity on the organization's website.
- After you finish a volunteer activity take a photo or screenshot of your finished project (e.g. drawing, transcription, coloring project, letter, card, etc.). You don't have to be in the photo!
- In order to get credit for your volunteer activity you must submit a Service Projects form. Upload a photo or screenshot of your volunteer activity to the form. If you do not submit a form, you will not receive any credit or hours for your volunteer work.
- Submit all forms no later than Sunday, August 7, 2022.
- Staff will review all submissions before awarding service credits or validating hours after the end of the program.
- The library cannot supervise and fulfill court mandated community service hours.
Service Hours & Certificates
Service hours
Service hours will be totaled for all volunteers who successfully completed activities and submitted forms after the program ends on August 7.
Certificates
Certificates will be emailed to the email address we have on file by the end of August. It will include your name, total hours that you volunteered, and the coordinator's signature.
Verification
Volunteer hours can only be verified after the program ends on August 7. After you receive your certificate, you or your school representative may email verification forms or links to Diane Presta at jrvolunteer@vapld.info.
Volunteer at Home: Activities List
Volunteer activities
- Choose from a variety of volunteer activities below that can be completed at home or online.
- Follow the directions for the activity in the description or on the organization's website to complete your volunteer work.
- Check the requirements for each individual activity on how to earn volunteer hours listed in the descriptions below.
- Please read each Volunteer Activity description and requirements to earn volunteer hours carefully.
All volunteer activities require you to submit a Service Projects Form for volunteer hour(s) approval and validation.
How this works:
For Example:
The "By the People" activity earns you 2 volunteer hours each time you complete a volunteer session. If you complete the activity three (3) times, complete and submit three (3) Service Projects Forms to earn all 6 volunteer hours.
The "Cards for Hospitalized Kids" activity earns you 1 volunteer hour each time you decorate 1 card. If you decorate 5 cards, submit five (5) Service Projects Forms to earn all 5 volunteer hours.
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By the PeopleHelp the Library of Congress make documents searchable in their catalog. Assist in transcribing original items, many of which have never been transcribed before. Anyone can transcribe and an account is not needed.
Earn 2 volunteer hours for each session. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each session. -
Cards for Hospitalized Kids
Brighten a child's day! Create as many handmade, uplifting cards as you like to be sent to kids in hospitals. Visit the website for more details and instructions.
Decorate 1 card to earn 1 volunteer hour. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each card you made. -
Color a SmilePrint out and color pages from the website: your finished pages are sent to senior citizens and troops overseas. Follow the instructions on the website for mailing completed pages.
Color 1 page to earn 1 volunteer hour. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each completed coloring sheet. -
Lake County Kind Words CampaignJoin the Kind Words Campaign and send homeless women and children letters of hope and encouragement.
Write 1 letter to earn 1 volunteer hour. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each letter written. -
Liberation Library BookmarksLiberation Library needs bookmarks! Every book they send to incarcerated youths includes a personalized bookmark. Bookmarks must not include stickers, tape, or glue. Bookmarks can be made using pens, pencils, crayons, markers and the like.
Make 4 bookmarks to earn 2 volunteer hours. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for every 4 bookmarks you make. -
Love for Our Elders
Make someone's day a little brighter! Handwrite letters to residents in senior facilities.
Write 1 letter to earn 1 volunteer hour. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each letter written. -
National Archives: Citizen ArchivistRegister for a free account and pick a mission to tag and transcribe. Your tagging and transcribing will make these records more accessible in the National Archives Catalog. Earn 2 volunteer hours for each session. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each session.
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Project GutenbergWith the goal of creating the world’s largest digital library, the project's current collection contains more than 60,000 free books. Volunteer proofreaders help build the library. To volunteer, register for a free account on the site.
Earn 2 volunteer hours for each session. Submit 1 form for every session. -
Reading Recommendations
Share your love of reading and create a themed book list. These book lists will help us create future book displays and book lists for the library. You can use one of the themes below or use one of your own, You can even create read alikes for your favorite book.
Book lists must have at least 5-10 titles. All titles should be suitable for readers in grades 7-12, owned by the library and are in either the Junior High and/or the Teen collection. Make sure to include a brief description of each book (a good place to find a summary is on the database Novelist). Some suggestions for themes are: Mental Health Awareness Month; Graphic Novels/Manga; Science Fiction; Fantasy; Historical; Horror; Humor; Biography/Memoir/; Mystery. Get creative and create a visual list with graphics, such as an infographic, bookmark, flyer, etc. using Canva.
Earn 1 volunteer hour for each book list. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for every book list. Upload completed book lists to your Teen Volunteering Online Service Projects Form for the photo requirement. -
SciStarter Citizen Science CampaignHelp scientists collect and analyze data to advance science research. You'll contribute to a globally acclaimed, online science hub where more than 3,000 projects are searchable by location, topic, age level, etc. Optional: You may register for a free account to keep track of your progress. Visit scistarter.org/finder and search for a campaign. Read your campaign’s instructions and participate.
Participate in a campaign for 1 hour to earn 1 volunteer hour. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for every hour of a campaign completed. -
Sidewalk Chalk Art
Create inspiring messages or uplifting drawings on your sidewalk for walkers, runners, bikers, or anyone passing by.
Decorate 1 section of sidewalk to earn 1 volunteer hour. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for each sidewalk section decorated. -
Smithsonian Digital Volunteers: Transcription CenterLearn how to transcribe historical documents and use biodiversity data to make these records more accessible.
Earn 2 volunteer hours for each session. Submit 1 Service Projects Form for every session.
When you finish an activity...
- Include a photo/screenshot with every form
- No limit on the number of volunteer activities/forms
- Submit all forms no later than Sunday, August 7, 2022
Questions? Contact coordinator Diane Presta at jrvolunteer@vapld.info or call 224-543-1485 during library hours.
Returning in Fall 2022
Do some good where you are again in the fall. A new online session, including new opportunities, begins September 6 and runs through December 2, 2022. Check back here for details or sign up to receive teen emails.