Summer Lecture Series

DR. MARGARET SCANLON & PROF. FRED POWELL – STUDENT VOLUNTEERING:

PROMOTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BUILDING A FUTURE VOLUNTEER BASE

RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN IRELAND AND INTERNATIONALLY SUGGESTS THAT VOLUNTEERING WHILE AT SCHOOL OR COLLEGE ENHANCES YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIKELIHOOD OF VOLUNTEERING IN THE FUTURE AND PROMOTES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY YOUNG PEOPLE INITIALLY DECIDE TO VOLUNTEER; THE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES THEY FACE; THE TYPES OF VOLUNTEERING IN WHICH THE ENGAGE; AND WHAT MOTIVATES THEM TO CONTINUE. FURTHERMORE, QUESTIONS ARISE AS TO WHY CERTAIN TYPES OF VOLUNTEERING ARE POPULAR AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE, WHILST OTHERS ARE LARGELY OVERLOOKED. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOME YOUNG PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO VOLUNTEER OR CEASE VOLUNTEERING, AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING POTENTIAL BARRIERS.