Student guides
Student guides
Practical guides for high school and college students on internships, resumes, service hours, college applications and projects, written by the team at Flash Forward Foundation, a student-run nonprofit.
Student guide
Community service ideas for high school students: 28 that actually help
Good community service ideas for high school students solve a real need near you or online, fit your schedule, and come with someone who can verify your hours. Here are 28 concrete ideas, grouped by where you'd do them.
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Student guide
Extracurriculars for college applications: depth, initiative and impact
The strongest extracurriculars for college applications are usually a few activities you stuck with, took real responsibility in, and can describe with specific results. Quality tends to matter more than the length of your list.
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Student guide
Free summer programs for high school students: where to look and what to skip
Free summer programs for high school students usually come from universities, libraries, local government, school districts and nonprofits, not from glossy brochures. Start local, judge each option by what you'll actually do, and don't be afraid to build your own summer.
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Student guide
Grant writing for students: a beginner's guide
Grant writing for students comes down to explaining a real need, a clear plan and an honest budget to a funder whose goals match yours. Here's how each part works, with a short example.
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Student guide
How to write a high school resume with no experience
A high school resume with no experience is built from what you already have: school, activities, volunteering, projects and skills. Describe each one with a strong verb and a specific result, keep it to one page, and add real experience as soon as you can.
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Student guide
How to get an internship in high school, step by step
To get an internship in high school, decide what kind of work you want to try, ask the people and organizations closest to you first, send short and specific emails, and follow up once. Nonprofits, including remote ones, are often the most open to high school students.
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Student guide
How to put volunteer work on a resume (and internships too)
Put volunteer work and unpaid internships in your Experience section if they involved real responsibilities, formatted just like a job: role, organization, dates and two to four specific bullets. Use a separate Volunteer section only if you have plenty of paid work already.
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Student guide
How to start a nonprofit as a student
To start a nonprofit as a student, begin with a project or club, sharpen your mission, build a team with adult advisors, and only then move to a fiscal sponsor or incorporation and 501(c)(3) recognition. Joining a student-run nonprofit first is a strong alternative.
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Student guide
How to get an internship with no experience
You can get an internship with no experience by showing transferable skills from school and activities, doing one or two small projects first, and applying to nonprofits and student-run organizations that expect to train beginners.
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Student guide
How to get leadership experience in high school
You get leadership experience in high school by taking responsibility for outcomes, not by collecting titles. Step up on one task in a club, start something small, or lead a real project in a student-run organization, then describe what you did and what changed.
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Student guide
Nonprofit careers for students: marketing, operations and fundraising
Most nonprofit careers for students fall into three kinds of work: telling the story (marketing), making the programs happen (operations and partnerships) and raising the money (fundraising). You can try all three while you're still in school.
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Student guide
Online volunteer opportunities for students that actually count
The best online volunteer opportunities for students are real projects with a real organization behind them: citizen science, transcription, proofreading, Wikipedia editing, tutoring, and remote work for a nonprofit. Pick one that fits your schedule, keep a log, and get your hours signed.
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Student guide
Passion project ideas for high school students
The best passion project ideas for high school students are small enough to finish, connected to something you already care about, and aimed at a real audience. Below are more than 30 ideas by interest, plus how to scope, document and show the impact of yours.
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Student guide
Solar light STEM project: how a solar study light works and how to build one safely
A solar light STEM project shows energy in action: a small panel charges a battery by day, and the stored energy lights LEDs at night. It's a hands-on way to learn circuits, design and why light matters for students without electricity.
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