How can you gain Social Impact experience while still in school?

Ask yourself do I seriously want to make an impact in the lives of people? If the answer is yes, join an initiative where you can actually contribute. Show your enthusiasm and try to be resourceful. Tell the club members how you can use your expertise and experiences to add value to the project. Elaborate how your vision aligns with the club so that you can quickly be a trustworthy volunteer.

The big concern here, is that many young people still don't know their values, and what impact means to them. The role of educators, parents and role models is of crucial importance here to inspire young people to care about real worlds problem and motivate them to take action to solve this.

Volunteering and interning is a fabulous way to gain hands-on experience, make a positive impact, network, and gain further clarity on the cause areas that are most important to you. By getting out in the community and dedicating your time to a specific organization, you are not only gaining experience to add to your resume, but you're truly developing skills, expertise, and real-world knowledge that will serve you in any future social impact role. Volunteering and interning is also a great way to learn what you like and don't like and better discern the type of culture or environment you'll thrive in.

Remember, as long as you do not step into the field and connect with people and understand their day-to-day real problems, you won't be able to provide a solution-based approach to help them out. Volunteering is a great way for the same. For ex - If I want to curb child labour, I should practically try to visit tea stalls and small companies which employ child labourers. I should also go and talk to spread awareness and convince their parents to stop sending their children to work and tell them how education can change their lives.

In my experience, your basic aim should be to learn about the problems faced by different groups of people, communities or ethnicity. If there are social impact courses available in your area, which you can afford, try to join them for a better understanding of the geography, climate, language, economy and culture of the region. If not, browse platforms like Quora and Reddit where people can very honest feedback and situational analysis of an issue.

Build your networks effectively. Attend workshops, seminars, conclaves and other events to meet different people and grow your connections. For ex - If I want to make the lives of stray dogs better, I will connect with different animal rights activists, social workers and NGOs that work for the same cause.

Find a common problem around you, for example food waste.and find a way to solve the problem through technology, pooling waste food and distribution to the needy.. this will not only increase societal consciousness but also helps you adopt technology to solve...

The most important step is to act and begin. Do not wait for funding, networks, appreciation and popularity. Take small steps from the limited resources available and make the best use of them. Start spreading awareness, tell people your vision, and start your campaign online. Do not wait for the right time. Just keep going and you will slowly figure out what to do next.

Social impact is not a static idea nor is it for a specific kind of people. Anyone can make social impact be you a child, student, worker, rich or poor individual. The key factors that count are 1. Passion for the cause 2. Know how 3.The tenacity to follow through on the idea or goal. 4. The ability to rally support. All of these can be achieved as a student. Infact, life as a student affords you the time, energy and human capital to come up with ideas, get fellow students to rally round the idea by volunteering or getting together to raise funds. Organizations are very keen to listen to students hence this is the best time to go pitch an idea to a VC or any corporate organization. Anyone can make impact at anytime.

Shadow a volunteer or volunteer organization, while in high school.. this way you will gain insightful experience, you can rely on as you progress through education.

You can engage in social impact initiatives during school through collaborative projects, partnering with local community organizations, schools, or shelters to create art projects that address social issues. Collaborate with experienced faculty members in social impact projects for guidance and potential opportunities. Additionally, use your projects, whether for coursework or personal work, to convey messages related to meaningful social issues that resonate with you.