Volunteer Event Program (VEP)

Not every student can make time, knows how to engage in, or understands the benefits of civic engagement. High School leaders who complete the paid Summer Internship lead a team to create, plan, implement, and evaluate monthly volunteer events on their campus to make volunteering equitable and accessible to the entire student body.

Civic leadership is a means to network, to practice interpersonal and problem-solving skills, and to enjoy spending time with friends. It also promotes community appreciation that creates experiential narratives for scholarship, college, trade school, and job applications leading to better class and community engagement.

Students in the VEP practice their leadership skills while adding a lens of equity and inclusion through ongoing social justice training. After each event, students are required to evaluate their process and outcomes as a group and individually. Through this reflection, students write blogs about their experiences that end up doubling as graduation credits for high school and help direct their educational and career pathways.