Camden High School Participates In Multi-State Poll
Students at Camden 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 Camden students compared to the 21 state average and to each of the other 33 schools."
A few atypical trades suggested by Camden students:
"Meet a famous movie star."
"Do it during school so it could be like a class." (YES!)
"Lower driving age to 16."
"Material things in trade for community service is absurd. Community is not just the people that live around you, it is you also."
"Homework pass."
"For every 1,000 hours get one big prize like a car or house." '[Don't know what houses cost in Camden, but we expect volunteers would be billing out at about $100 an hour!]
"A meeting with a high official."
Camden students comment on personal volunteer experiences
"I work for a Volunteer Fire Department."
"I volunteer with the Lioness Club. It makes me, as a teen-ager, feel like I'm making a difference."
"I collect food for the needy, baby-sit and put up bulletin boards."
"I helped run an American Red Cross disaster shelter here in our county."
"Through the Beta Club and Food Pantry, we hold a cheer leading clinic to raise money for St. Jude's."
"I go to the retirement home and talk with the residents as well as play with children by dressing up as a clown."
"Food panty, raise money for MDA, work at Union Mission."
"I volunteer at a physical therapy office. I help the physical therapist."
"Coached little league basketball, mission work and Special Olympics."
"I would help but I just hardly have time, but I would do it."
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."