Blue Ridge High School Participates In Multi-State
Poll
Students at Blue Ridge High School were among 2,000 students in 21 states who, in the spring of 1997, participated in a poll which asked them to rank pre-selected options as more or less desirable exchanges for volunteer services. Money was not an option. Detailed results and an analysis of that poll may be viewed on the home page of the Harry Singer Foundation, the poll's sponsor, at www.singerfoundation.org/main/announcements/polls. For printed copies, call the Foundation office in Carmel, California 408-625-4223.
After years of working with high school students across the nation, the Harry Singer Foundation was convinced that their energy and goodwill was an untapped resource. "Many adults did not believe us when we suggested that the oldest and youngest generations, instead of being problems, were the solution to many of our social ills. So we decided the best way to persuade the skeptics was to have these groups speak for themselves." said Margaret Bohannon-Kaplan, director of the national 501(c) 3 Harry Singer Foundation. "We reasoned that polling young people and retired people would determine (1)the amount of time they might be willing to volunteer, (2) their experience (already acquired abilities), (3) their eagerness to learn (or teach), (4) the return expected and (5) the incentives and disincentives, as they view them.
"When we went back and analyzed what students told us, using their own words, we noted a discrepancy between those comments and the answers that required them to prioritize pre-selected choices," said Director Bohannon-Kaplan. "The most popular handwritten trade suggestion was a desire for coupons for free or discounted merchandise, activities or services. Some form of recognition was a clear second choice followed by the intangibles such as a good feeling, desire to make a difference and a variety of altruistic declarations. Sharing fourth place were things to upgrade schools, scholarships and things that benefit the community at large. Teen hang-outs, school credit, a car or some form of transportation and group celebrations came in fifth.
"When students were prompted to mark pre-selected choices, coupons, the number one write-in, dropped to the fourth spot, trailing apprenticeships, class credits and mentors. On the Foundation web site, the write in comments are divided into 21 categories. Recognition, second out of the 21 write-in categories, was a clear loser when given as a pre-selected option. Visit our web site to see how the answers of Blue Ridge students compared to the 21 state average and to each of the other 33 schools."
Atypical trades suggested by Blue Ridge students
"If I do something to help someone, it is because I want to, not to get something out of it."
"Just self-satisfaction, recognitionónot just being overlooked!"
"I just want to be a good person. I want to do to others as they do to me. I want to get the respect I give."
"I would like a better community, like an actual recreational center that people would go to."
"I would like some land donated to me."
"Letters of recommendation and any type of help with college expenses."
When asked about past volunteer experiences, one Blue Ridge student told us he just does anything that needs to be done. A couple students offered personal reasons for not volunteering:
(1) "I am married, have a child and I need a real job!" (2) "I am too shy."
Bohannon-Kaplan explained the reasoning behind the polls: "The poll
is the first step in launching Another Way, a nationwide project which overcomes
obstacles and provides incentive for volunteers of all ages while giving donors more
social benefit for their dollars. Polling the residents in neighborhoods determines the
most pressing social problems and suggests reality-based solutions. Compiling the wish
lists of operating public and private nonprofits enables these organizations to focus more
fully on their missions by taking advantage of the previously untapped community resources
uncovered by the earlier polling. Using the information obtained from these
school-community-based learning exercises, enables individual and institutional grant
makers to target their social investments so that the community receives more benefit. Another
Way is not a program; it is a coordination and communication system using the latest
technology."
Poll Results/Individual Schools