Independent Sector

Independent Sector is a national coalition of voluntary organizations that promotes volunteering, philanthropy, and citizen action to improve the nation’s communities. In the following viewpoint, Independent Sector maintains that youths should get involved in public service in order to reap volunteerism’s benefits. Drawing from their 1999 study, Volunteering and Giving Among Teenagers 12 to 17 Years of Age, the organization claims that volunteerism engages teens in civic life and gives them opportunities to develop leadership skills.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Independent Sector, how have religious institutions influenced teens’ volunteering habits"
2. What reasons for volunteering did teens most frequently cite, as stated by Independent Sector"
3. In the author’s view, how can school courses increase teen volunteering"

Ask the average adult to use three or four...