How to Start a Service Club: Guide and Ideas for School Community Service Clubs

Give Directly

Experiment with this Poverty Risk Calculator and research poverty in the US. What are policy actions your government could take to address rising poverty in the US?

Consider some of the solutions here, then research a Rustic Pathways country, meet with a Rustic Pathways team member to discuss your questions about poverty in that country, and raise money for one of the various projects on Rustic Pathways.org.

High School MBAs for Entrepreneurship

Businesses started during economic downturns often perform well (eg. Disney in 1929). With a team, partner with social entrepreneurs from the country you choose. Educate yourself about the specific problem they are trying to combat, provide support in creating a website and helping these budding business people reach a US market.

Learn valuable lessons about building a business through social media and empowering communities capitalism.

There is Such a Thing as a Free Lunch

Participate in team-based school competitions on FreeRice.com. FreeRice is a free ad-supported website and mobile app. Players can donate rice by playing a multiple-choice quiz game. For every question the user answers correctly, 10 grains of rice are donated via the World Food Programme.

Feed Your Local Community

Organize a team-based school competition (who can collect the most) or large group effort. Pick a local group that needs food such as the food bank, homeless shelter, faith-based organizations, senior citizen centers, or schools. Organize collections and drop offs.  Use resources for planning, such as this AARP how-to organize a food drive guide.

Science, Sociology and Safety

Conduct primary research to determine countries which have the highest rates of vehicular accidents in the world. Research the physics of car accidents and understand the force mechanics and societal factors that may lead to high accident rates in these countries versus others. Then, develop advocacy programs to promote vehicular safety in your chosen country as well as in your local city and state.

Washy-Washy = Happy-Happy

According to the National Institutes of Health, Handwashing with soap is considered one of the most cost-effective means of preventing faecal–oral transmitted diseases and other infections, especially in developing countries. Partner with a school in the developing country of your choosing. Create educational materials to promote handwashing rates in elementary schools in rural areas, and have a drive or fundraiser to collect soap or raise money to buy soap for the school. Distribute these materials to the school you have partnered with.

Senior Superlativos 

Conduct interviews with community members in their native Spanish, Chinese or French language. Record the interview and transcribe in English and their native language. Compile a book to be given to those family members.

Elderly may know the history of their communities better than anyone. Read a biography of a contemporaneous historical figure and interview a senior citizen. Create original artwork in English and a narrative about the seniors in the history of the world and their community. Then, mail artwork and biography to the local community. You may also record the biography for English language/familial education.

Geek Squad for Teachers

Adopt a US school. Help teachers who now have to virtualize lesson plans to create interactive media experiences that dazzle their classroom. Then, adopt a global school and repeat.

Read it, Dream it, Build it

Research a women’s rights issue and answer a focus question: How might this dream be made universal in _____ country? (You research and choose the country!) Support the claim with evidence. Then create an advocacy video for the cause in that country. Present the video online and to women’s activists in ____ country.

Empowering Girls Through Education

According to UNESCO, women make up two thirds of the 750 million uneducated people in the world. With a team, partner with girls at a school you’d like to work with in ______ country. Create and provide training and material to increase the literacy skills of girls and young women. You can also choose to focus on areas such as entrepreneurship, life skills, and basic ICT skills.

Squats for Toilets

According to the World Health Organization, 2.0 billion people still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines. Conduct primary research to determine countries which have the highest rates of poor sanitation. Choose a charity building toilets in the area you want to support. Get sponsors and fundraise to build toilets by challenging teams to do as many squats as possible in a certain time.

Fundraise for Clean Water

Organize a fundraiser to increase awareness about water problems/solutions in the developing world. Give presentations to raise awareness about the importance of water for human needs, organize school (or home) pledges to conserve water and start fundraising efforts with your class to donate to Water.org. (Ideas: walk-a-thons for water, Sponsored Essay Writing Contest or Art Contest about water, Recycling bottles and cans)

Power it Up

Access to clean, renewable energy in schools, health clinics, homes, and on farms in rural areas not connected to the grid gives educational opportunity, improves health services, brings light and AC power to households making new activities possible, and improves economic prosperity for families. Fundraise to bring solar power to communities who need it most.

Adopt a Local Landmark

Tourism is hurting globally. Create brochures about a local landmark you wish to preserve and promote. Brochures can include the history, top ten reasons for people to visit and a brief summary of the landmark. Invite others and even people from the local landmark to participate. Then, research why the economic benefit of travel safeguards historic sights and prevents poachers from poaching, and prepare an essay on sustainable tourism. Find an underserved and at risk landmark and use your creativity to bring highlight its merits, sustainably.

New Projects Coming Soon!

Money Skills

Income inequality is on the rise. Help educate young adults (locally or in the country of choosing) on personal finances. Write articles or give speeches advocating financial literacy on topics like calculating housing costs, or understanding personal loans.

Black Lives Matter

Support the fight for racial justice. First, spend time educating yourself and others on institutionalized and societal racism against the black community and the Black Lives Matter movement. Spread awareness and sign online petitions on sites like change.org. Social media as an effective tool during this time.

Create space for black representation and help black peoples’ voices be hard when they are not present. When you see there is no black representation in a syllabus for a literature class, offer up works by black authors and apply this to other situations and settings.

Masks Are For More Than Diseases

In some countries, wearing a mask is not only to prevent germs from infecting others. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.2 million people die every year from exposure to air pollution. Research which cities have the worst air quality. Raise money and advocate for cleaner air. You may wish to make masks to sell in the US to raise money and donate to the fight against air pollution, or to buy masks for people in need in countries with poor air quality.

Reduction and Recycling Audit

Partner with a local business interested in reducing their waste for a waste audit project. Students will examine trash, weigh recyclable materials and note potential waste reduction opportunities. Then present waste loss assessment to companies to help improve or implement recycling programs.

Battery Recycling Program

Learn about environmental problems associated with hazardous household waste. Create battery collection containers (make out of laundry or soda bottles) and distribute along with flyers to local businesses or at school. Collect the batteries from the bins weekly to take to the local recycling center.

Plant it For The People

Connect with your local government to get approval to plant trees in local parks and city streets. Work with a team to fundraise to buy the materials and trees.

Campaign For Our Climate

Yearly seasons have become unpredictable with intense winters and an increase in natural disasters. Research local factors and create materials on the problem and potential solutions. Campaign for climate change awareness to your local government.

Beach Education and Clean Up

Volunteers have played a crucial role in the sustainable conservation of the oceans. Coordinate a beach clean-up day to pick up trash and waste.  Collect data on the litter and send information to Ocean Conservancy so it can be used for educational programs, developing targeted pollution prevention initiatives, and inform resource managers and litter policies.

Water Quality Monitoring

With a team, test the water quality of a lake or river. If it is clean, discuss and share with the community ways to keep it clean. If it is poor water quality, create solutions to share with their community.

Give Directly

Fundraise and give directly to an animal conservation and rehabilitation center. You may wish to donate to the Rustic Pathways Foundation Australia Wildlife Relief Fund.

Support Animal Shelters 

Support your local animal shelter. Shelters and rescues are always in need of simple items such as towels, toys for the pets, leashes, etc. Contact your local rescue and shelters to find out what they need and organize a drive to get the materials.

Help make a shelter or rescue better known by liking their social media pages, sharing their content and inviting your friends to do the same. Word of mouth is a strong way to grow awareness.

New Projects Coming Soon!