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Student Volunteer Program
Student volunteers are an important part of every VA Medical Center's treatment team. VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) student volunteers range between the ages of 14 to 21. The student volunteers receive valuable experience and training which will benefit them in applying for college and employment. The James H. Parke Memorial Youth Scholarship Award provides scholarship opportunities to students who volunteer at VA medical centers (your local VA health care Voluntary Service staff has current nomination criteria). Student volunteers are liaisons with their communities and provide a valuable element of caring for veterans.
Full time, part time and rotating schedule student volunteer programs are accommodated through the Voluntary Service Program. On site teachers, instructors, job counselors, social workers, vocational counselors, para-professionals, teaching assistants and other NYC Board of Education staff conduct academic lessons, GED training and other essential education to a wide variety of student volunteers. Many of the students in these programs do not function well in traditional school environments or have re-entered these programs after dropping out of school and now wish to acquire their general equivalency diploma. Space is made available for conducting academic lessons and counseling. The students are then detailed to various volunteer assignments throughout the facility for career experience and job training. Many of these same students return to us in the summer through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Students, on occasion, stay with the program and continue to volunteer past the age of 21 when NYS law mandates a different venue or career path.
There have been a number of times in recent years where the students were able to turn their volunteer assignment into full time paid employment by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our success in this area continues to grow. More and more opportunities to turn students into VA employees have presented themselves.
The VA Voluntary Service program offers students excellent opportunities for:
- exploring health care career options;
- gaining experience in a health care environment;
- learning new skills;
- making new friends;
- qualifying to be nominated for James H. Parke Memorial college scholarships
There are many opportunities to explore in the Student Volunteer Program. Here are just a few of the services and specialties available to student volunteers:
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Outpatient/Ambulatory Care Activities
- Extended Care Occupational Therapy
- Laboratory Medicine Patient Escort
- Medical Administration Pharmacy
- Medical Illustration
- Physical Therapy
- Nursing Research
- Nutrition and Food Service
- Social Work
A wide variety of assignments are available. Volunteers are selected according to the needs of the medical center, assignment preference and skills. Training is provided by Voluntary Service at each medical facility and the supervisor of the department to which volunteers are assigned. Orientation will be conducted to acquaint you with services available at the medical center where you serve.
There are 2 convenient ways to become a VA student volunteer:
- Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs facility nearest you. Ask for Voluntary Service. Tell their staff of your interest in becoming a VAVS Volunteer. The staff will take care of everything else including your interview, orientation, and assignment! To find out which facility is nearest you, click here.
- Complete the email form with your name and contact information and click send. Someone from that office will then contact you to set up the initial interview.
Voluntary Home | Student Volunteer Program | Voluntary Service Organizations
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