International Youth Volunteering Resources

Introduction

This collection of resources by the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) explores the role of youth volunteering in social change and personal development. They are free to download but the site asks for your name, organisation and email.

Summary

Youth Volunteering and Social Change: Challenges and Opportunities

In 2023, IAVE commissioned four papers on volunteering that focused on key issues impacting young people. The papers were used to frame a series of online conversations and a global roundtable. In May 2023, IAVE held a Roundtable in London hosted by Volunteering Matters to expand the dialogue on Youth Volunteering, Employability and Sustainable Livelihoods. This event and the resulting report celebrates both the power of youth and the power of volunteering.

A New Generation of Volunteers as Changemakers

This Challenge Paper ‘A New Generation of Volunteers as Changemakers’ was commissioned in partnership with International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum), and used as a framing paper for Forum’s IVCO 2023 conference, held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2023. Available in English, Spanish, and French.

Future Leadership: The Role of Youth Volunteers

Youth volunteering is seen as providing an important experience for young people to engage with their communities and the issues they care about while enhancing their own personal development. This paper explores how learning to lead through volunteering often creates a pathway to employability and social entrepreneurial activities. It focuses on the importance of channeling the passion and commitment of young volunteers into leadership roles to sustain and grow the volunteer effort, and allow youth to define what volunteering leadership means to them. 2020. Available in English.

Youth, Volunteering and Employment

The final report of research for a dialogue, sponsored by the Telefonica Foundation, at the December 2012 IAVE World Volunteer Conference. This work came in response to the growing global crisis of youth unemployment and reflects IAVE’s belief that volunteering by young people can help prepare them for the paid workforce. Available in English and Spanish.

Benefits for Volunteer Organisations

These resources offer valuable insights for organisations working with young volunteers. By understanding the motivations and aspirations of young people, organisations can create more engaging volunteer opportunities that benefit both the community and the volunteers themselves.

Application

Volunteer management practitioners can utilise these resources to:

• Tailor volunteer opportunities to attract and retain young volunteers by aligning with their interests and desired skills development.

• Provide opportunities for young volunteers to take on leadership roles within volunteer programs.

• Showcase the positive outcomes of youth volunteer involvement to attract more young people and strengthen community partnerships.