Howdy everyone - My daughter is a high school junior and is going to be applying to universities this fall. She needs to get some volunteering hours in over the summer, and I'm wondering if anyone has any organizations they can recommend. She does not want to work with kids, and I've been told by someone who works in admissions at one university that animal shelter volunteering doesn't seem to 'count' as much as other types of volunteer work (no idea why). Can someone recommend something where I know she'll be safe (she's also very shy) and can make a difference? She does like the outdoors so something with parks or outdoors would be nice (though probably hot in the summer). Thanks so much!

Not sure why a university admission officer would say that about an animal shelter. For me, I recommend that students get involved where they can either deepen their knowledge in a subject area or an issue, or some place that will help them develop a skill.

Additionally, consistency always looks better than achieving "x" number of hours. I'd rather see a student who volunteers for 2-3 hours a month, but has done so for an extended period of time. The intent is that the student has formed external relationships that support their development, deepen their understanding of a community issue, and learn how it may connect to their major or a set of skills they're trying to develop.

Typically, when I see students who jump around a lot with their service, quite often they've developed very little attachment to the cause of the people they're serving. And a result, have very little they can meaningfully discuss or write about in an essay.

As for possibilities, check aggieserve.tamu.edu. There is a whole page that you can search by topic.

Hi there! Mrs. Texas Aggie here, we are involved with SheServes Brazos Valley, which is an organization that provides volunteer opportunities for girls throughout the year. You can find us on Facebook or Instagram and registration is currently open for the new year which begins on 6/1! Please join us!

The BCS Classic is always looking for volunteers. Not sure when the requests go out but the event is in late August. It is just a weekend event but a real easy way to get quite a few hours and probably won't conflict with other opportunities. Of course it is not about this but the swag for volunteering is usually pretty cool.
https://bcsclassic.com

The Arts Center of the Brazos Valley has a number of one off and continuing volunteer opportunities, including working regulars shifts at the gallery reception desk. They also have a well-organized volunteer group called the STARS.