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Adolescents - Ages 11-13
Adolescents have completed their basic physical development and are now moving to develop gender characteristics and identities. This is a time when one's self concept is heavily influenced by the bodily changes that these adolescents are experiencing. It is a time to discover one's role in society and develop a value system of our own. In this process, the sway from peers is strong. Adolescents are developing abstract and independent critical thinking skills. This enables them to understand such as the ethical abstractions of honesty, justice, and fairness. Adolescents are beginning to become aware of the social issues of the society around them. They are able to solve problems by considering alternatives and by apply more complex problem solving techniques.
Volunteer activities that enable adolescents to reflect on social issues are a great learning experience. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or cook a meal on a holiday for those who have no family to celebrate with. After your experience, reflect on what your volunteer activity has taught you about the social issue in question. Host a New Years Eve party where teens could be guaranteed a safe, alcohol and drug free place to celebrate the New Year with their friends. Assist an elderly homeowner with raking their lawn or shoveling snow from their walkway. Adolescents should take time to reflect, how does your volunteer service benefit this older person's ability to remain living in their own home and maintain their independence?
The Search Institute, a leading organization located in Minneapolis that is doing research into the developmental assets that can determine future success in children, has determined that involvement in service to the community is a key asset that help deter youngsters from destructive behaviors such as smoking, drinking and violence. Youngsters involved in volunteerism gain an enhanced appreciation of their community and its issues, are able to practice problem solving, math and reading skills in a practical environment, and are able to gain a greater appreciation of people different from themselves.
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