SAMPLE OPINION EDITORIAL FOR STUDENT – To Be Submitted to College Paper

While not all schools will hold a community service day as part of the campaign launch, below is a sample of how to frame the activities your school is undertaking for the Raise Your Voice campaign.

It's easy to get caught up in the daily routine of school, which for most of us is jam-packed with classes, studying, athletics and other extracurricular activities. Often, those of us interested in becoming active in the community don't know how to get started or feel that we lack the time for service-related activities. On [date], student organizations on campus took steps to make it easier for us to get involved.

To kickoff Raise Your Voice – A Week of Action, students across the campus came together to dedicate their time and services to volunteer at a local organization of their choice. What many of us learned is that even within a community as small as ours, there are numerous opportunities to get involved.

[Describe activities and local organizations]

The Raise Your Voice campaign is about increasing student involvement in public life. It’s about encouraging students to take action – from volunteering to voting – to create change. The all-campus community service day energized us to do just that. It was an extraordinary volunteer effort that allowed each one of us to open our eyes to problems in our community that we may not have been aware of before.

The positive response from students to this service day was powerful. We were glad to give back to the community and know that our efforts will go well beyond this one day. We must remember that change starts with us. Let us use this day as a stepping stone for us to become more active, visible citizens in our community.