Question 1

How do I sign up to volunteer?

Accepted Answer

When sign-ups open, each month's service events and RSVP forms appear on our homepage. Between events, join our email list or follow @youthservecle on Instagram, where we announce every event first. No prior experience is needed. Just show up ready to help.

Question 2

Do I need to attend every month?

Accepted Answer

Not at all! There's no commitment required. Each event stands on its own, so you can volunteer once, a few times, or every month. We love regulars, but everyone is welcome anytime.

Question 3

What's the minimum age to volunteer?

Accepted Answer

YouthServeCLE events are designed for high school students. We typically ask that volunteers be at least 14 years old. If you're in middle school and motivated, reach out to us directly.

Question 4

Can I bring friends from a different school?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. That's the whole point: YouthServeCLE is cross-school by design, and we love when students from different schools meet and serve together. Bring as many people as you'd like.

Question 5

Which schools are part of YouthServeCLE?

Accepted Answer

Student representatives from 11 Cleveland-area partner schools lead YouthServeCLE: University School, Gilmour Academy, Hathaway Brown, Laurel School, Hawken School, Twinsburg High School, Orange High School, Solon High School, Beachwood High School, Chagrin Falls High School, and Magnificat High School. You don't need to attend one of them to volunteer, and if your school isn't on the list, you can start a chapter there.

Question 6

How do I start a YouthServeCLE chapter at my school?

Accepted Answer

Chapter reps lead YouthServeCLE at their school: they rally classmates, share each month's theme, and bring friends out to serve alongside students from our 11 partner schools. No experience is needed. Visit our Start a Chapter page, or send us your name and school through the Contact page, and we'll help you get started.

Question 7

What should I wear and bring?

Accepted Answer

Wear comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Bring water, good energy, and a willingness to help. Everything else is provided. We share event-specific instructions on Instagram and by email before each event.

Question 8

Can I get service hours for YouthServeCLE events?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We track attendance at every event and can provide documentation for NHS, honor society, school service requirements, or college applications. Just reach out after the event and we'll confirm your hours.

Question 9

What is Impactly and how do I use it?

Accepted Answer

Impactly is the platform YouthServeCLE uses to track volunteer hours. After each event, log your hours there to build a verified, shareable service record for NHS applications, college essays, scholarship forms, and honor society requirements. Open it from our Volunteer Hub. If you don't have an account yet, creating one is free and only takes a minute.

Question 10

Is YouthServeCLE affiliated with my school?

Accepted Answer

We are a completely independent, student-run organization, not officially affiliated with any school. However, we work closely with student leaders and teachers at each of our 11 partner schools.

Question 11

How can my nonprofit partner with YouthServeCLE?

Accepted Answer

We're always looking for new Cleveland-area nonprofit partners whose work aligns with our monthly themes. The best fit organizations can meaningfully use groups of 20–150 student volunteers for hands-on service. Fill out the partnership form on our Contact page or email us at youthservecle@gmail.com to start a conversation.

Question 12

What do you ask of partner organizations?

Accepted Answer

We ask that partner organizations provide a meaningful, hands-on activity that students can engage with for 2–3 hours. We handle all marketing, volunteer recruitment, and logistics. You focus on the mission; we bring the people.

Question 13

How are partners selected for each month?

Accepted Answer

Our team curates partner organizations each month based on the monthly theme, geographic accessibility, volunteer capacity, and the quality of the hands-on experience they can offer. We vet every partner and build ongoing relationships with trusted organizations.

Question 14

Who runs YouthServeCLE?

Accepted Answer

YouthServeCLE is entirely student-run. It was co-founded by Jack Nelson and Charlie Martin of University School and Valentina DiCenso of Gilmour Academy. Today, executive directors Jack Nelson, Charlie Martin, and Sophia Buchner lead a team of school representatives from all 11 partner schools, and students manage every event, partnership, and post.

Question 15

Is YouthServeCLE a nonprofit?

Accepted Answer

YouthServeCLE operates as a student-run civic organization. We are not a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we do not charge fees for events. Our goal is purely to connect students with community organizations, not to fundraise.

Question 16

What makes YouthServeCLE different from other volunteer programs?

Accepted Answer

Three things: (1) We're student-run, not adult-led. Everything is organized by peers your age. (2) We're cross-school, bringing together students from different institutions who wouldn't normally interact. (3) We're theme-driven, meaning each month has a specific cause that we explore in depth through service, social media, and storytelling.

Question 17

How do I follow along?

Accepted Answer

Follow @youthservecle on Instagram. That's our primary home. We post event announcements, recaps, cause spotlights, and volunteer stories every month. You can also join our email list on this website.

Common Questions

Getting Involved

Service Hours & School Credit

For Nonprofits & Partners

About YouthServeCLE

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