Service Opportunities From: Youth Community Service (YCS)

Volunteer: Facilitator Internship

For ages 15-19. This is an unpaid internship. However, interns able to gain service hours as well as enhance public speaking and other valuable communication skills. 

Your role as an intern:

YCS has a number of workshops that elevate topics like mental health and wellness. Some of these workshops were youth-developed and intended to be youth led. The ask is for you to go through a 2 hour facilitation training led by Karen Castillo on our team.

We offer our workshops to various community partners so you will be presenting to school staff, community partners, parents, etc. When we have opportunities to present one of our workshops, you will be contacted based on your availability to lead or co-lead the workshop. 

With support and guidance from staff, you are also expected to support outreach efforts in your own schools and communities. 

About the workshops:

Call to Action: Support our Youth:  In 2020, a group of Youth Community Service (YCS) youth peer-leaders noticed a disconnect between youth and adults and wanted to bring awareness to this issue and find solutions. In partnership with YCS staff, the youth created this interactive workshop based on the research from the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework. The workshop helps adults identify actions they can take to show up for youth in their lives. Research shows that youth with strong developmental relationships have better mental, social, and physical health, as well as better long-term outcomes in school and career.

Stanford's Safety First Curriculum:  Stress, Coping and Wellness: This lesson reviews stress, discusses how to manage it in a healthy way and to understand one’s own stress. The ultimate goal is to find ways to cope with stress.

Other youth-developed workshops: Our students are continuously developing new workshops. You may be able to facilitate these on an as needed basis. 

Location: Based on partner needs, the workshops will likely happen in Santa Clara County: Palo Alto, San Jose, Mountain View, Los Altos areas. You will be asked to go to the location that works best for your availability and transportation access.

For any further questions please email Karen Castillo: karen@youthcommunityservice.org

Program: Youth Connect

For ages 15-19. This is an unpaid internship. However, interns able to gain service hours as well as enhance public speaking and other valuable communication skills. 

Your role as an intern:

YCS has a number of workshops that elevate topics like mental health and wellness. Some of these workshops were youth-developed and intended to be youth led. The ask is for you to go through a 2 hour facilitation training led by Karen Castillo on our team.

We offer our workshops to various community partners so you will be presenting to school staff, community partners, parents, etc. When we have opportunities to present one of our workshops, you will be contacted based on your availability to lead or co-lead the workshop. 

With support and guidance from staff, you are also expected to support outreach efforts in your own schools and communities. 

About the workshops:

Call to Action: Support our Youth:  In 2020, a group of Youth Community Service (YCS) youth peer-leaders noticed a disconnect between youth and adults and wanted to bring awareness to this issue and find solutions. In partnership with YCS staff, the youth created this interactive workshop based on the research from the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework. The workshop helps adults identify actions they can take to show up for youth in their lives. Research shows that youth with strong developmental relationships have better mental, social, and physical health, as well as better long-term outcomes in school and career.

Stanford's Safety First Curriculum:  Stress, Coping and Wellness: This lesson reviews stress, discusses how to manage it in a healthy way and to understand one’s own stress. The ultimate goal is to find ways to cope with stress.

Other youth-developed workshops: Our students are continuously developing new workshops. You may be able to facilitate these on an as needed basis. 

Location: Based on partner needs, the workshops will likely happen in Santa Clara County: Palo Alto, San Jose, Mountain View, Los Altos areas. You will be asked to go to the location that works best for your availability and transportation access.

For any further questions please email Karen Castillo: karen@youthcommunityservice.org

Program: Youth Connect

Service Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94063

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Youth Connect 2026-27 Application

Applications are closed for Fall 2026.

Peer Leadership Track 1 is closed for the 2026-27 school year. Peer Leadership Track 2 applications for the spring semester will reopen in December. This program is for high school students in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

See a summary of the tracks below: 


PEER LEADERS - Track 1Description: Collaborate with a group of 5-6 students with a shared interest area - e.g. the environment, mental health, public health, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, language access, etc. As a group, you will develop and plan two service projects: one in the fall, one in the spring. Past projects include voter outreach guides for local elections, nutrition workshops for elementary-aged students, a queer fashion show and clothing swap, suicide prevention workshops, and more. At the in-person meetings, you will spend time getting to know and collaborating with other peer leader groups.
Commitments:Meet in person at the YCS office (3990 Ventura Ct Palo Alto) twice per month on Thursdays. Meet virtually twice per month on a weeknight that works for your group.Collaborate to plan, promote, and carry out one service project per semester. 


PEER LEADERS - Track 2

Description: Peer Leader Track 2 members support service projects planned by Youth Connect Peer Leaders. At monthly in person meetings, PL2s members will sign up for tasks that are most interesting to them, earning a minimum of 1 service hour at the meeting. You may also choose to complete additional work on the service project outside of meeting time, up to 4 hours/month. Tasks might include research, printing and preparing brochures, hanging fliers, creating social media posts, and more. PL2s will also pick one youth-led project each semester to support in person. For example, if Peer Leaders have planned six different events for December, you will choose at least one event to attend in person.
Commitment:Attend in person meetings once per month on a Thursday at the YCS office in Palo Alto (3990 Ventura Ct Palo Alto CA). Attend at least one youth-led project per semester in personOPTIONAL: Earn service hours by completing work for youth-led service projects outside of meeting times, up to 4 hours/month.

Program: Youth Connect

Applications are closed for Fall 2026.

Peer Leadership Track 1 is closed for the 2026-27 school year. Peer Leadership Track 2 applications for the spring semester will reopen in December. This program is for high school students in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

See a summary of the tracks below: 


PEER LEADERS - Track 1Description: Collaborate with a group of 5-6 students with a shared interest area - e.g. the environment, mental health, public health, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, language access, etc. As a group, you will develop and plan two service projects: one in the fall, one in the spring. Past projects include voter outreach guides for local elections, nutrition workshops for elementary-aged students, a queer fashion show and clothing swap, suicide prevention workshops, and more. At the in-person meetings, you will spend time getting to know and collaborating with other peer leader groups.
Commitments:Meet in person at the YCS office (3990 Ventura Ct Palo Alto) twice per month on Thursdays. Meet virtually twice per month on a weeknight that works for your group.Collaborate to plan, promote, and carry out one service project per semester. 


PEER LEADERS - Track 2

Description: Peer Leader Track 2 members support service projects planned by Youth Connect Peer Leaders. At monthly in person meetings, PL2s members will sign up for tasks that are most interesting to them, earning a minimum of 1 service hour at the meeting. You may also choose to complete additional work on the service project outside of meeting time, up to 4 hours/month. Tasks might include research, printing and preparing brochures, hanging fliers, creating social media posts, and more. PL2s will also pick one youth-led project each semester to support in person. For example, if Peer Leaders have planned six different events for December, you will choose at least one event to attend in person.
Commitment:Attend in person meetings once per month on a Thursday at the YCS office in Palo Alto (3990 Ventura Ct Palo Alto CA). Attend at least one youth-led project per semester in personOPTIONAL: Earn service hours by completing work for youth-led service projects outside of meeting times, up to 4 hours/month.

Program: Youth Connect

Service Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Runs Until Apr 30, 2027

Zip Code: 94306

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Summer 2026 Youth Community Service Award Application

Please sign up to start your application process.

Program: Youth Community Service (YCS)

Please sign up to start your application process.

Program: Youth Community Service (YCS)

Service Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Runs Until Sep 1, 2026

Zip Code: 94306

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Voter Outreach Social Media Posts

Looking for an easy way to empower your community? Post information about the upcoming election to your socials!

8 posts = 0.5 hours of service

1 video = 0.5 hours of service

Social Media Toolkit

Must share a link to your posts.

Program: People's Poll

Looking for an easy way to empower your community? Post information about the upcoming election to your socials!

8 posts = 0.5 hours of service

1 video = 0.5 hours of service

Social Media Toolkit

Must share a link to your posts.

Program: People's Poll

Service Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Zip Code: 94306

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Voter Outreach Classroom Announcements

Share information about the upcoming elections with your class. Ask for permission from your teacher(s) and pass out flyers to the class.

Program: People's Poll

Share information about the upcoming elections with your class. Ask for permission from your teacher(s) and pass out flyers to the class.

Program: People's Poll

Service Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Leadership Core Application 2025-26

Sign up here to apply to be part of the Leadership Core program in the 2025-26 school year!

All middle school students from Santa Clara or San Mateo Counties are welcome.

Program: Leadership Core

Sign up here to apply to be part of the Leadership Core program in the 2025-26 school year!

All middle school students from Santa Clara or San Mateo Counties are welcome.

Program: Leadership Core

Service Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Zip Code: 94306

Allow Groups: No