Homeschoolers Bitten by the Volunteer Bug
By Mimi Rothschild
Children who receive the benefit of a homeschool education have advantages in more ways than one. Volunteerism is one of the most common activities for homeschoolers to engage in. Today, many high schoolers are required to perform community service as a condition for graduation. This forces resentment and unhappiness on what should be an act of selfless joy. For most homeschoolers, their feelings on community service are opposite: they look forward to helping others, doing good deeds, and changing the world.
Many homeschooled children choose to volunteer in their communities on a regular basis. Because they are not bound by the classroom walls, homeschoolers are able to get out in the community during the day and offer their services cheerfully and without pressure. There have been several high-profile volunteers who were homeschooled and later went on to perform great humanitarian acts. For example, Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins was a homeschooler who regularly visited nursing homes and the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. He also visited the area’s worst neighborhoods to serve coffee and donuts, and pass out free clothing. The spirit of generosity he learned as a homeschooler stays with him today.
Another example of a homeschooler who is changing the world through volunteerism is Sasha Earnheart-Gold. Sasha graduated from a high school homeschool curriculum at the age of fourteen, and went on to pursue independent education that included a teaching garden. He learned how to graft and prune trees, and grasped orchard maintenance. When Sasha encountered starving children in Tibet as part of a work-study program, he created Apple Tree International, a program that supplies poor and underdeveloped apple trees from a California nursery and sends volunteers to train farmers in fruit and nut tree propagation techniques, providing the tools for people to feed themselves.
Community service is very beneficial to a homeschool curriculum. Homeschoolers are able to dedicate their time to causes they feel strongly about, and make a real difference in their communities. Service is educational for the homeschooled child; it helps them to understand and develop real life skills. Homeschoolers also benefit from the socialization realized through community service. They are able to interact with members of the community of all ages, from young to old. Finally, community service helps homeschoolers learn about themselves, develop responsibility and good work habits, and allows them to develop into kind, caring adults. Have your homeschool children been bitten by the volunteer bug?
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