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An Untapped Resource

Understanding Volunteers Aged 8 to 12

University of New Brunswick, cshannon{at}unb.ca

Research on youth volunteers has overlooked those between the ages of 8 and 12 (younger youth). As a result, little is known about the volunteer activities, motivations, or barriers of youth this age. This study used semi-structured interviews with 73 younger youth from Boys and Girls Clubs in Atlantic Canada and 7 club executive directors to explore the contributions younger youth can make as volunteers and how their experiences differ from older youth volunteers. The findings indicated that younger youth can engage in a wide range of volunteer activities. They participate because they experience volunteering as fun and enjoy the rewards, both tangible and intangible, associated with volunteering. The most significant barriers are related to perceptions others have related to what younger youth can do as volunteers.

Key Words: youth volunteers • volunteer motivation • barriers

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 5, 828-845 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0899764008319624


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