Boston Area Community Service Fair Offers Volunteer Opportunities for Teens

Chestnut Hill, Mass.– January 26, 2010 – Most Greater Boston area middle and high school students are required or strongly encouraged to spend a certain number of hours outside of school volunteering for non-profits. The benefits of volunteerism include increased self-esteem, a feeling of being valued, the opportunity to meet new people, the acquisition of valuable new skills, and a lifetime of wonderful memories and experiences. However, many of these students do not know where to find meaningful opportunities that fit with their needs and interests, and most parents and educators do not have the time or the resources to keep up with all of the interesting options.

TeenLife is a unique resource that helps families and schools to connect students to all sorts of experiential learning opportunities. The first TeenLife Boston Community Service Fair, modeled after similar events held by colleges for incoming students, was organized in spring of 2008 to help families and educators to find volunteer opportunities for teens. It has quickly established itself as the "go-to” event in the area, attracting close to 1000 students, parents, and educators from more than 100 private, public, and parochial middle and high schools.

"Teens who engage in volunteerism and other meaningful activities outside of school have an advantage over other students when they continue on to college,” said Marie Schwartz, president and founder of TeenLife. "The chance to learn experientially allows them to discover their passions at an earlier age, providing direction and allowing them to make better choices about courses and career options.”

This year's Community Service Fair will be held on Sunday, February 7, 2010, at The Mall at Chestnut Hill from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. It will feature 40 non-profits willing to engage teens and 35 sponsors and supporting exhibitors that make the event possible. Exhibiting non-profits include The American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, ArtsBoston, Big Brother Big Sister Foundation, Boston Cares, City Year, Cradles to Crayons, DoSomething.org, The Food Project, Museum of Science, Roots & Shoots, Tenacity, and many others.

Andrew Miller-Smith, a junior at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols who attended last year's fair and landed a summer volunteer opportunity at Tenacity said, "The fair brought together non-profit organizations that were actively looking to hire teen volunteers; without it, I would never have found Tenacity or any of the other fantastic organizations represented there. It made them accessible in such a way that finding a time and place to volunteer was an exciting experience, not a lamentable hassle.”

The platinum sponsor of the TeenLife Community Service Fair is Advantage Testing of Boston, a company that provides tutoring and test-preparation services to teens, focusing on one-on-one tutoring and individualized learning styles.

"At Advantage Testing, we take a holistic approach to our work with students and believe that students who are engaged in community service develop a stronger sense of themselves,” said Daniel Kusik, director of Advantage Testing of Boston. "We believe the TeenLife Community Service Fair will help students engage in volunteerism, providing a sense of personal responsibility and a resume of experience for college admissions officers and future employers.”

In addition to Advantage Testing of Boston, sponsors of the 2010 Community Service Fair include Citizens Bank, CollegeWeekLive, Next Step Magazine, AAA of Southern New England, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, The Princeton Review, and REI. GateHouse Media New England is the media sponsor and the Mall at Chestnut Hill is the venue sponsor.

Exciting activities and entertainment will be provided throughout the afternoon. The fair will kick off with a high school a cappella sing-off, sponsored by Bristol Voice and Recording Studios of Boston. Bristol Studios will host the sing-off competition and provide a recording package to the winning group. A cappella groups from BC High School, Belmont Hill School, Boston Latin School, Brookline High School, Framingham High School, Milton Academy, Newton North High School, Noble & Greenough School, Norwood High School, Roxbury Latin School, and Wayland High School will compete.

The MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT) will display their solar car in a special designated "green” section on the upper level of the mall. The SEVT promotes science, engineering, and efficient vehicles. This solar car recently placed fifth in the World Solar Challenge.

Additionally, TeenLife has teamed with Barnes & Noble and will feature a special bookstore filled with books for teens on topics such as college admissions, job and internship opportunities, and summer and gap year programs. During the fair teens, parents, and educators can browse and buy books at this convenient location on the lower mall level.

Parents, students, and educators are encouraged to pre-register for this free event in order to expedite check-in and receive important pre- and post-event information including a comprehensive Guide to Community Service, listing 150 non-profits that solicit teen involvement as well as a gift bag with free raffle tickets for prizes from participating retailers. To register, visit http://www.teenlife.com/.