Today’s post comes from Davida Gatlin, Manager, Training and Technical Assistance for generationOn.

During National Volunteer Week, the news is full of stories about people who more than heed the call of service, people who go above and beyond, seemingly never running out of ideas and time and energy. While we all are glad that it is so, we may sometimes wonder – I know that I certainly do – what it is that propels them? Now, I am not a scientist by any means, but I do know that Newton’s laws of motion were intended to apply to the physical world, not human behavior. Still, I think a little science may help us explain this phenomenon.

According to Newton’s first law of motion, an object at rest tends to stay at rest. Without force acting on an object, nothing will change. A person at rest too, tends to stay at rest. If we were to continue the metaphor, we could say that all people need then is a little push, some “force”, to get them going. And once in motion, people tend to stay in motion.

For me, that push came from my middle school guidance counselor who recommended that I join the Greensboro Youth Council (GYC), a volunteer organization for youth in Guilford County, North Carolina when I start high school. Established in 1962, the Greensboro Youth Council is a youth-driven organization in which high school students are given real responsibility for organizing and participating in events and projects that serve the community.

Over the next four years, I served in a variety of volunteer roles, from organizing an annual alternative Halloween event at the local mall, to sorting toys at our Santa’s Workshop project, to facilitating training sessions on topics such as applying for college or public speaking. As a senior in high school, I was elected GYC Chairman, responsible for leading the executive board, presiding over full council meetings, and overseeing project managers for our dozen events throughout the year. When I graduated, I was recognized for volunteering over 2,000 hours to my community during high school.

However, before my middle school guidance counselor mentioned the Greensboro Youth Council to me, I had never given service much thought. Sure, I knew I would join some sort of club in high school, and I was involved in other activities such as drama and debate. But what helped me maintain momentum was the opportunity to truly be an asset to my community. At GYC, we didn’t “just” volunteer, rather we were encouraged to lead and to take ownership of their projects.

Today, as Manager of Training and Technical Assistance at generationOn, I put the lessons I learned as a youth service leader to work. I aim to inspire others to be that “force” that propels young people to serve and to equip them with the tools and resources to build service momentum.

For tips on how you can engage youth as leaders in service, read former generationOn intern Hannah Dalporto’s February post on the HandsOn Blog. Also check out generationOn’s Do Your Own Thing Guide for Teens and Do Your Own Thing Guide for Kids, step-by-step toolkits that guide youth in creating and managing their own service project!

Continuing her service journey, Davida Gatlin joined generationOn in November, 2010. In her role as Manager of Training and Technical Assistance  she provides service, service-learning and philanthropy education resources and support to teachers and others who work to engage youth in service.