For over 25 years, Habitat for Humanity has offered high school and college students week-long volunteer trips throughout the United States. The Collegiate Challenge has given over 250,000 students the opportunity to build durable and affordable homes in areas that need love and an extra push.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals with a higher education are consistently more likely to volunteer than individuals with inferior education. However, in the past decade, there has been a significant drop in volunteer rates among college students. At only 18.4 percent, 20- to 24-year-olds are volunteering less each year and the Bureau is unsure of why the drop is occurring.

Whether it is an issue of time, place or opportunity to serve, college students statistically seem to be struggling to volunteer.

There are, however, great benefits to spending some free time off campus and in a new place meeting new people.

Students who volunteer have a better concept of time management and tend to procrastinate less, according to scholarships.com. The site also states that students can create a new network of friends and fellow college students who share a common interest in volunteering. Volunteering is also a sign to future employers that a student is organized, dedicated and open to new ideas and working with new people. 

The Habitat for Humanity programs offered through Oswego State provide these same benefits. Students are able to make new friends, learn new skills and see an area of the country they otherwise would have never seen had the opportunity to see had the option to volunteer never been presented to them. The Habitat for Humanity website home page lists their own benefits of volunteering, including the bold encouragement “get out from behind a screen and get your hands dirty.” 

By doing this over a winter or spring break, students have the chance to use their free time efficiently, in ways that will benefit them in the future. The break from constant routine is so different that it makes serving much more special. Students can learn to appreciate their time and place at college and can do so by representing Oswego State. 

As well as alternative break trips, Oswego State offers programs throughout the semester that similarly encourage students to get involved with their community. Adopt-A-Grandparent and Mentor Scholar are both great ways for students to continue their passion for volunteering all year long and make a lasting impact on the members of the Oswego State community.

There is no better time than now to increase the number of college students who volunteer each year. With all the benefits of serving, students are creating a better future for both themselves and the world. Habitat for Humanity, as well as other volunteer organizations, make it possible for students of any age to make a difference and have some fun while doing it.