Specifically, studies show that regular participants in volunteer activities have higher levels of civic development and personal efficacy than those who did little or no service during the school year. For example, youth who volunteer regularly are more confident in their ability to make public statements, have more political knowledge, and pay more attention to politics. In addition, teen volunteering creates a behavior pattern that carries into adulthood. Twenty-four percent of youth participated one or two times in volunteer activities during the school year, and 15 percent participated regularly up to 35 hours. Regular participation in volunteer activities for 35 or more hours during the school year is associated with higher levels of political knowledge and interest, and confidence in public speaking.
Girls are more likely than boys to participate in volunteer activities.
Students with more highly educated parents are more likely to participate than others. Students are much more likely to participate if their schools require and arrange the service. Additional data can be found in a related report .