University students are likely to be an important source of volunteers now and in the future. A study found that while university student volunteers and non-volunteers had similar personal characteristics, volunteers showed greater openness to new experiences. The most common volunteer activities of university students were teaching/coaching (24%) and providing care/support (24%). They volunteered most for schools (23%), social services (22%), and arts/recreation (18%). To retain university student volunteers, organizations should offer opportunities for them to expand responsibilities, try new approaches, and continue learning new skills.
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Y E A R O F
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V O L U N T E E R S
Y E A R O F
University Students as Volunteers
University students
as volunteers
The more education a person has, the
more likely he or she is to volunteer.
Today’s university students are likely
to be an important source of volunteers
for decades to come. What do we know
about these young people?
University students who volunteer
have the same personal and economic
characteristics as those who do not
volunteer, but they show a greater
openness to experience, according to
research undertaken for the
International Year of Volunteers.1
These students are characterized by
intellectual curiosity, active
imaginations, independent judgment,
and a preference for variety in their
lives.
Where they volunteer
and what they do
The most common volunteer activities
done by university students who
participated in this study were
teaching and coaching (24%) and
providing care or support to others
(24%).
Students volunteered most frequently
for schools (23%), social service
organizations (22%), arts, recreation
and social clubs (18%), and health
organizations (11%). Unlike older
adults, very few (7%) volunteered
through religious organizations.
University student volunteers in the
study contributed 23 hours per month
on average. More than one-half (56%)
were involved in two or more
volunteer activities.
Most Common Volunteer Activities
for University Students, by Percentage
Most Common Organizations Chosen by
University Students for Volunteering
Number of VolunteerActivities Taken on by
University Students
24% 24%
14% 13%
9%
16%
0%
50%
100%
Teaching or
Coaching
Providing Care
or Support to
Others
Organizing or
Supervising
Activities or
Events
Canvassing,
Campaigning or
Fundraising
Office/Admin-
istrative Work
Other
23% 22%
18%
11% 9% 7% 10%
0%
50%
100%
Schools Social Service
Organizations
Arts,
Recreation
and Social
Clubs
Health
Organizations
Sports
Organizations
Religious
Organizations
Other
44%
30%
19%
7%
0%
50%
100%
1 Activity 2 Activities 3 Activities 4 Activities