Pennsylvania College of Technology's Outreach for K-12 Office, in conjunction with the Community Connect AmeriCorps, hosted a pilot event May 23 to help connect local teens with volunteer opportunities.
Nine students from Curtin Middle School, Loyalsock Township High School and Williamsport Area High School attended the "Ambassador for Change Youth Leadership Workshop" held in the college's Center for Business & Workforce Development under the direction of volunteers from Community Connect AmeriCorps.
The students participated in hands-on activities, brainstormed ideas to help alleviate common problems in their age group, and listened to the stories of how other volunteers have made differences for their communities. To close the daylong event, representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, the James V. Brown Library and Master Gardeners spoke to the participants about volunteer opportunities with their organizations. Workshop leaders were also ready to help students find additional volunteer opportunities to match their interests.
According to Savonna Reagan, of STEP Inc. and Community Connect AmeriCorps, the participants in the pilot event who were between the ages of 14 and 17 were selected based on their willingness to listen to service opportunities.
"One of the hopeful outcomes is that they will end up serving with a volunteer organization this summer," Reagan said.
For more information about the Ambassador for Change Youth Leadership programs, please contact Reagan at (570) 601-9676 or via e-mail . To learn more about other programs offered through the Outreach for K-12 Office at Penn College, call (570) 320-8003, e-mail or visit online .