How College Towns Might Profit More From Crowds Of Student Volunteers
If you inquire a bit more about the history of the world’s best universities, you will eventually find out that many of them prefer smaller cities for their campuses rather than big ones. In fact, it is very convenient to populate a small town with students. Old universities create an infrastructure that will fit the learners and help the town develop and prosper.
Many students are also allowed to work part-time on the premises of the campus or in towns. They make pocket money from sales, customer service, or any other occupation. This benefits both sides.
Students get money to cover their study needs (for example, pay for the services of professional writers who are knowledgeable about the right term paper format, essay structure, and referencing techniques), while the town gets cheaper labor rates and supports small businesses with the workforce.
However, money is hardly the only thing college towns can benefit from. While hosting large crowds of students, they also get a vast number of junior specialists in different fields. Those can successfully serve as volunteers. Yet again – it benefits both sides.
Here are the ways how student volunteers can benefit towns.
Better Understanding
It is common knowledge that youth drives progress. Understanding what young population needs might help the authorities allocate resources in the right direction.
Creating recruiting opportunities in the fields that young people are especially interested in may positively affect a town’s economic and social development. It can also provide a hint on what industries may need reorganization and change implementation to become profitable.
Improved Management Practices
Local companies and organizations recruit student volunteers. Since college towns are usually small, its firms and nonprofits hardly employ the best business practices.
However, these organizations get a chance to improve their training programs and people management methods by inevitably adjusting to the needs of student volunteers.
Increase in the Number of Future Community Volunteers
By encouraging student volunteer movements, towns and bigger cities are likely to increase the numbers of future community volunteers. Many people find this experience inspiring. Thus, they gladly spend their weekends and free time helping those in need.
Moreover, students usually get training from current community volunteers. They gain the necessary skills to perform specific tasks. It may save the town’s money that is usually directed at training newly recruited community volunteers with no experience.
Improved College-Market Coordination
Faculty members also benefit the community of the town in a certain way. Apart from developing curricula, including volunteer activities, they also meet with organizations.
It is needed to understand their needs and train students to meet them. It helps in establishing a reliable connection between educators and employers. This, in turn, positively reflects on the overall employment situation in town.
Raising Community Awareness
Student volunteers cooperate with community organizations and private firms, contributing to community awareness. They help in creating a more united and sustained community where people can rely on public support and social services.
Event Planning
Student volunteers also help in organizing and planning community events. Their participation in volunteer fairs, college-supported events, dedicated programs helps in building a stronger community.
Such activities encourage communication and increase people’s cooperation and networking. Students work as mediators in any issues and help in resolving problems promptly and with care.
Fundraising
Student volunteers are effective when it comes to fundraising and crowdfunding. It is very likely that they can help the town council collect the money it needs for some underfunded social problems.
Citizens are also more willing to give their money to student-run charity compared to a non-profit organization associated with the business or authorities.
Developmental Stimulus for Rural Areas
In the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain, campuses are often located in rural areas not far from big cities. These towns lack industrial development, but their location is perfect for building an educational enclave.
While hosting students, these towns get resources they need to function and develop even if they underperform economically.
Final Words
Student volunteer activities are critically important for every educational institution and city council. However, clearly, the benefit that student volunteers bring is even more evident in smaller towns.
There, students not only contribute to local development but also build stronger communities.
People are more likely to trust young and inspired people. That is why students are usually more successful in fundraising. Moreover, the phenomenon of student volunteering makes educators cooperate with local authorities and businesses. It, in turn, promotes a constructive dialogue between different stakeholders.
Students allow towns to save lots of money on community volunteers who would need to be rewarded for their service. Instead, youth is usually satisfied with new skills, knowledge, and experience that they get for free.
