One of the requirements for high school graduation is the service-learning project, which students must complete before the end of junior year. Here is a list of simple yet impactful ideas for the project.

Organize a shoe drive – Starting a shoe drive at school is a simple and beneficial way to give back to the community. Students can get in contact with an organization such as Soles4Souls in order to distribute the shoes and set up boxes for people to turn them in. Creating posters around school can also help spread the word about the shoe drive.

Beach cleanup or local park – Cleanup a local park or beach, such as Santa Monica Beach or Balboa Park, by picking up trash and recycling discarded items. Along with this activity, students can also create and pass out flyers about keeping the environment clean to passerbyers.

Beautify your neighborhood – Paint over graffiti in your neighborhood. Plant native flowers along sidewalks or wherever is permitted. With assistance, students can help fix a broken fence. These and many other small projects can be done to help beautify the community.

Help register people to vote – Volunteer at voter registration drives to help people register to vote. Volunteers will be required to have a voter registration training where they will review the registration form and rules, discuss messages about the importance of voter registration and practice asking people to register. Volunteers will then visit malls, movie theaters, libraries, neighborhood festivals, rallies, farmer’s markets and other locations to help register people to vote.

Become a volunteer teen crisis counselor – Through organizations such as TEENLINE, students can volunteer to become a teen crisis counselor, which involves training and a training fee. Students can make a difference by providing free and confidential emotional support to people in emotional distress.