? Too many students view community service simply as an activity they need to check off for college. ? And for a majority of students, they check that box by volunteering as a tutor. ? That's an important contribution, especially if students enjoy teaching. ? But students should also take the time to find community service more directly related to their interests -- and less common than tutoring. ? Not only will this make their service more meaningful and interesting to them, it will help them build a resume that will stand out to college admissions readers. ? Where can students find these opportunities? ? It's not always easy to get involved in unusual volunteer activities close to home, but there are lots of online opportunities available. ? Your student can check these out to start! ? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?(NOAA) offers many online citizen-science volunteer opportunities: ? The Library of Congress is looking for volunteers to help transcribe Library of Congress documents: ? NASA's Feature Hunter volunteer project is looking for people to label features on photographs taken of earth by astronauts! ? Scistarter also offers lots of online science volunteer opportunities: ? ? Zooniverse, offers intriguing options for students interested in a wide range of areas. ? Here are just a few examples: ? For students interested in American history: ? For students interested in ecology:
? ? For students interested in physics and astronomy:
? For students interested in linguistics:
? ? And for those students who truly love tutoring? ? Schoolhouse.world might be just the ticket! ? Schoolhouse.world certifies tutors to teach a variety of math subjects. The certification process includes taking a test and then making a video explaining your reasoning. ? Certified tutors can help students around the world -- and they can list those certifications on their college applications! ? In fact, the MIT and UChicago application allows students to link their Schoolhouse tutor transcript to show the topics they're certified in, and I expect more colleges to do this in the future. ? Math whizzes can learn more at ? For more college planning information | 
