Volunteer experiences are among the most effective ways for students to develop personally, academically and professionally.

The “community laboratory” allows volunteers to learn about their strengths and weaknesses, and to practice those famous soft skills that employers say are critical for success in the workplace.

Engaging in projects that help others often brings out or accelerates skills that students might not practice regularly in their more formal classroom experiences. These may include learning they have strong “thinking on their feet” skills or an ability to motivate others. Students consistently report that serving allows them to get their best practice at team work, communication, project planning and problem solving in real-life situations that demand them.

It goes without saying that when a young person helps tackle a community need, they become active and invested members in that community. It is also an effective way to support emotional and physical health while building self-esteem and a sense of their own value.

For those benefits alone, Lead Up invests heavily in engaging our leaders in a wide variety of meaningful service experiences. From reading to young children to responding to flood relief, we are committed to giving our students real-life ways to develop their talents while building their networks.

Lead Up leaders interviewing Lincoln seniors and archiving their perspectives and memories of the Apollo era. The collected stories were shared with NASA for inclusion in its compilation examining the Moon’s cultural and scientific influence over the last half century.