“Every kid should try to get involved in their community and give back,” CHS junior Jane Gillette said. Gillette and Abigail Lewis, also a junior at CHS, are the founders of the VolunTEENnation club. The club is a chapter of a national organization called VolunTEENnation, which was created by two CHS Alums.

VolunTEENnation is a national non-profit organization that helps teens find volunteer opportunities, create service projects and explore ways to make a difference in their communities. The site has over 8,500 volunteer opportunities across the nation. More than 78,500 students nationwide have found opportunities on the site. VolunTEENnation also gives users the ability to access grants and scholarship listings.

The VolunTEENnation club at CHS is focused on spreading the mission of the organization by getting young people involved in service.

“I wanted to create this club, so that we could connect VoulunTEENnation back to the school, even after I graduate,” Gillette said. “I also want to raise awareness for this organization.”

During the course of the school year the club hopes to help teens find a place were they can volunteer and organize service projects. Lewis explained the importance of volunteering.

“Service is a great way for students to reach out to parts of the community that we may otherwise not be involved with,” Lewis said. “It’s a great way to spread some of the great opportunities we receive at Clayton to others.”

The club brainstormed a variety of service project ideas. Possible projects for the club include organizing sports clinics for youth on the Autism spectrum, building gardens at low income preschools and food banks, hosting a volunteer fair and cleaning up a park.

The club plans to team up with organizations such as Autism Speaks, the Mid-County YMCA and the Center of Clayton. Additionally, they plan to partner with many CHS sports teams to organize clinics for youth on the Autism Spectrum.

In the past, students at CHS have partnered with VolunTEENnation to host some service projects, but with the creation of this club, Gillette and Louis hope to get more students involved in service initiatives throughout the year.

Lewis and Gillette want students to know that the VolunTEENnation Club is going to be a lot of fun and a good way to get more involved in the community. To learn more about the VolunTEENnation Club, the founders suggest coming to a meeting, which take place Friday mornings at 7:30 a.m. in room 107.