The Covid-19 Pandemic continues to change the way we do things and interact with people. Opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities and volunteer in our normal way has disappeared. Although we are in the beginning stages of lifting some of the shelter in place orders life is still going to be different for a while and people will still be taking precautions. So as spring turns in to summer what can you do that is productive? Why not use your talents and skills to do something new or give back to your community from home? Activities
Read—this will help you with your vocabulary, better your reading comprehension, improve test scores, and learn about new thing and places
Start an online book club
Do a Zoom concert for a nursing home where you were volunteering prior to the pandemic
Write a blog interviewing people about their story
Do online interviews with people in careers that you might be interested in
Learn something new
A language
Computer code
An instrument
To cook
A computer program like MS Excel or Adobe Photoshop
If there is a sewing machine & materials in your home, help sew masks. Leverage social media to find areas of need for where to send supplies.
Online Stem Classes
Kadenze brings together the world's leading colleges, universities, and industry partners to provide the best online courses in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Design, Music, and Math.
Ideas for Photography Students
Digital Photography School has great tips and tutorials
Photography from afar—take pictures of families sitting on their front porch
Before and After series—catching the empty streets and parks now and then when things get back to normal the filled parks and streets
Virtual Volunteering Virtual volunteering has become something more and more organizations are requesting. This is something that you can do to make a difference while continuing to stay safe and healthy. Click on the links below for additional information.
If you are 18 or older, this organization connects “volunteer listeners” with people who are looking for free emotional support. This program offers free online training and support. If you are interested in Psychology, this is a great way to start helping others during this difficult time.
Each day, thousands of people provide compassionate care to those in need. The American Red Cross offers a variety of opportunities to relieve the suffering here at home and around the globe where volunteers can engage remotely. When searching for opportunities on this site, be sure to search “NQH” or “virtual” to find virtual volunteer positions.
“Amnesty Decoders” is an innovative platform for volunteers around the world to use their computers or phones to help Amnesty International research by sifting through pictures, information, and documents.
Sighted volunteers are needed to lend their eyes to this free app that solves tasks, big and small, by helping blind and low-vision people lead more independent lives.
What a great way to make sure that students with reading barriers are NOT left behind during school closures caused by COVID-19. As a volunteer, you can help scan, proofread, or describe images from a book for those with print disabilities.
This network connects volunteers with short-term projects to assist non-profits and social enterprises. If you are looking to hone your business skills, this could be a great opportunity for you.
Volunteer to write a letter, send a card, or pen an uplifting note to a patient who is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
Read and record chapters of books in the public domain making them available for free on the Internet.
Each year disasters similar to the COVID-19 Pandemic, kills, affects, and displaces vulnerable communities from around the world. Many of these places are literally “missing” from any map and first responders lack information regarding relief efforts. This collaborative project is looking for volunteers to help map areas. Training videos are provided.
Calling all web development and information technology students!!!! The NPS is looking for virtual volunteers to help with the NPS Data Application Programming Interface (API). This allows official, authoritative data and content to be used by internal and external developers in apps, maps, and websites.
This free library offers over 60,000 eBooks and needs volunteers to help with proofreading, procuring texts and sending materials to communities without access to the internet.
If your skills include technology and you want to help eliminate poverty by providing technology training to underserved communities, then this volunteer project is for you. Check out this link to learn more about how you can help.
Help the “Nation’s Attic” make historical documents more accessible through digital technology. There are a variety of projects to choose from and you can even become a citizen scholar through the Smithsonian Transcription Center.
This non-profit offers language translation support for humanitarian programs across the globe. Whether you are interested in translating texts or assisting with graphic or web page development, this organization can really use your help today.
The database includes an ever-evolving list of virtual volunteer opportunities from all over the world. Check out the variety of projects available and you can help someone from right next door to across the globe.
This program allows students to participate in virtual international efforts while gaining real work experience. It offers a variety of options in fields of study including Education, Global Health, and Environmental Sustainability.
This online platform connects low-income high school students in the US with live volunteer coaches, like yourself!
This people-powered research platform is driven by volunteers who come together to assist professional researchers. Areas of interest include the Arts, Biology, Climate, History, Language, Literature, Medicine, Nature, Physics, Social Science, and Space.