By: Daria Draskovic

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and help others, all while strengthening important skills and meeting new people. These opportunities can be hard to find right now, but there are a number of virtual volunteering opportunities that are available for high school students! Check out some of these below:

TechServe. This organization strives to provide seniors with virtual technological help, especially to aid them in connecting with family and friends online. If you are interested in technology, able to commit to 3 hours of volunteering per week, and like working with people, this is an amazing volunteer opportunity!  To volunteer, you will need to sign up at: https://www.techserveto.com/volunteer/. You can also email techservetoronto@gmail.com for more information.

Ripple Foundation’s Wave Blog. Do you like to write and share your voice about topics you care about? The Wave Blog is looking for volunteers to write blog posts about their opinions and experiences for community hours. To apply, you will need to send a resume and a sample writing piece to  info@ripplefoundation.ca For more information, visit https://www.ripplefoundation.ca/wave/write-for-wave/

Youth Assisting Youth. This organization matches volunteer mentors with newcomer and at-risk youth to help them build confidence, support them, and be a positive role model. All meetings are held virtually, and you must be over 16 to volunteer. To sign up, email Daulton Scott at dscott@yay.org. For more information about this program, go to https://youthassistingyouth.com/, or https://www.volunteertoronto.ca/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=582285

Sending Sunshine. Write letters to elderly people, and receive volunteer hours for your work! Letters are delivered to various care facilities, to help seniors experience more joy and togetherness in their lives, especially during these times. To sign up, go to https://www.sendingsunshine.ca/volunteer-card-writer. For more information, visit https://www.sendingsunshine.ca/.

Virtual Teach and Learn. This organization strives to provide free tutoring for students in French, Math, and Language. They are looking for high school volunteers to provide tutoring to younger students struggling with these subjects. To sign up, go to https://virtualteachandlearn.godaddysites.com/tutor-sign-up. For more information, visit https://virtualteachandlearn.godaddysites.com/.