extracurricular  activities

Extracurricular activities are a great way to engage with your community, give back, explore and network in an area of interest, show leadership, enhance your resume, and most of all, grow as a person.  All students should try extracurricular activities for enrichment.  These activities include pursuits such as music lessons, a job, involvement in a club on campus, scouting, volunteering, research and more.  The resources below will give you an idea of what to look for and where to find them.  For those who want to apply to competitive colleges, it is important that students have done a  variety of things outside the classroom and use their leadership and initiative skills.  Some college applications ask students to list and describe their involvement so that they get a sense of the student's character. Beyond your academic record, this is a way to demonstrate who you are and benefits you might bring to a college campus. The UC application has room for 20 activities;  the Common Application has 10. Those two applications also ask you to describe the activities, your involvement in them and the impact they may have had. The CalStates (CSUs) simply asks you to quantify hours spent on extracurriculars.  If you are really ambitious but don't see an opportunity below that meets your needs, consider reaching out directly to a professional or a researcher to get hands-on experience.  Doing just that demonstrates initiative.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Directories

ANIMALS

CHILDREN

CIVIC LEADERSHIP

 CRISIS

EDUCATION 

EVENTS  

FOOD BANKS, SOUP KITCHENS, AND HOMELESS SERVICES

 HEALTH

 LIBRARY & LITERACY

MUSIC

OFFICE WORK

 OUTDOOR WORK

SCIENCE

SENIORS

SOCIAL SERVICE

OTHER ACTIVITIES




CONTESTS

Directories of contests nationwide:  


Computer Science:


Math:


Chemistry:


Robotics:


Biotech:


Science:


Engineering:


Biology:


Writing:


Dance:


Art/Design:


Film:


Music:


Business:


Investing:




AWARDS


Diablo Magazine Threads of Hope Award

Threads of Hope is Diablo magazine's celebration of outstanding community volunteers. Each year, individuals and organizations nominate volunteers of all ages who provide vital services in a variety of fields, including the arts, youth, children and families, education, health, the environment, athletics, and more. Then, a team of judges selects a handful of exceptional nominees to be featured in the December issue of Diablo magazine and to be honored at the Threads of Hope event.  Nomination deadline:  July.


Helen Dillon Teen Tikkun Olam Award

Each year the Helen Diller Family Foundation awards $36,000 to each of 15 US Jewish teens for exceptional leadership and engagement in initiatives in making the world a better place.  Application deadline: January.  


Contra Costa Youth Hall of Fame Award

For being a Good Samaritan, Volunteering, Teamwork, Leadership/Civic Engagement, or Perseverance.  Nomination deadline:  March


Do Something Youth Organization Award

Since 1996, DoSomething.org has honored the nation’s best young change-makers, ages 25 and under. Do Something Award finalists have made a significant impact in their cause space and are showing the world how it’s done.  Each year, five finalists are rewarded a $10,000 grant to continue their work, along with media coverage and support from the team at DoSomething.org. The grand prize winner receives -- wait for it -- a $100,000 grant to take their initiative to the next level.


Big Future National Recognition Programs

The College Board National Recognition Programs award academic honors to underrepresented students. The four national recognition programs include the National African American Recognition Program, National Hispanic Recognition Program, National Indigenous Recognition Program, and National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program.