By the numbers: a data bank of education trends for district leaders.

HIS MONTH: Student Volunteerism

44% of young adults volunteer during high school

BATTLE of the SEXES

Percentage of high school
students who volunteer

Female   50%
Male     38

Parents' Education Level

Students with parents who attended college are
more likely than other students to volunteer

Both parents attended college     41%

One parent attended college       33

Parent did not attend college     24

Source: The Gallup Organization, Teens and Social Service:
Who Volunteers?, 2003, www.gallup.com

ORGANIZATION
MOST POPULAR ORGANIZATIONS TO VOLUNTEER FOR

Church or church-related activities              22%
Youth organizations                              11
Community centers, neighborhood or
  social action associations                     10
Education organizations                           9
Organized group in hospital or nursing home       8
Conservation, recycling or environmental group    6
Service organizations                             5
Political clubs or organizations                  4

SMARTS

Teens (aged 13 or 17) who are near the top of their class or
above average, are nearly twice as likely to report involvement
in a charity or social service activity than those whose class
standing is average or below average

Above average volunteers              42%
Average or below average volunteers   21

Source: The Gallup Organization, Teens and Social: Who Volunteers?,
2003, www.gallup.com

RACE

Percentage, by ethnicity,
of high school students
who volunteer

White      47%
Black      36
Hispanic   38

STATUS

Percentage of all high
school-age volunteers
by socioeconomic status

High SES households     60%
Middle SES households    4
Low SES households      28

Motivation

Percentage of young adults
who participated in unpaid
volunteer or community
service activities

Strictly voluntary           38%

Strongly encouraged by
someone else                 17

Required for other reasons    9

Required for a class          7

Court-ordered                 2

Other sources: National Center for Education Statistics,
Volunteer Services by Young People From High School
Through Early Adulthood 2003, nces.ed.gov