Volunteer with ModernBrain
Why Volunteer with ModernBrain?
ModernBrain is excited to announce that we are now an approved provider of the prestigious President's Volunteer Service Award. This is a golden opportunity for students to not only make a meaningful contribution to our community but also to gain national recognition for their hard work and dedication.
Volunteering with us is not just about giving back. It's about growing, learning, and being part of something bigger. As a volunteer, you'll have the chance to:
- Enhance your college applications with a recognized service award.
- Build confidence through real-world experiences.
- Strengthen community ties and make lasting connections.
- Develop valuable skills that will benefit you in academics and beyond.
As of 2024, it takes 50 hours for teens (age 11-15) to earn a Bronze award, 75 hours for Silver, and 100 hours for Gold. It takes young adults (age 16-25) 100 hours to earn a Bronze award, 175 hours for Silver, and 250 hours for Gold.
Here's a link to our volunteer hours spreadsheet. Make and share a copy of it with [email protected].
Volunteer Opportunities
Tournament Volunteers (Judges): If you're in the seventh grade or older, you can join us as a judge at our tournaments. This opportunity is available both online and in-person. All you need is to complete our training session and keep track of your volunteer hours on our provided spreadsheet.
Here's a link to our competition calendar (for judging opportunities).
Seventh graders and older can judge at the monthly (they take place during the third week of every month) online National Online Forensics League competitions, which occur on Saturdays (live) and throughout the week (pre-recorded).
They can also judge at the Scholars of Speech competitions series, which occur every few months in-person in Corcordia University Irvine.
Tenth graders are also generally able to judge middle school competitions in their local area.
Teacher's Assistants (TAs): High school students have the unique chance to apply for our Teacher's Assistants (TA) program. As an approved TA, you'll work closely with a ModernBrain coach, assisting in practice drills, providing feedback, maintaining our core values, and fostering strong relationships with students to help them succeed.
To qualify, you'll need to pass six certification courses offered by the National Federation of State High School Associations. You must make a profile with the NFHS to take the courses. The time it takes you to complete these courses will count towards your volunteer hours, since they are necessary to your status as a competent, trusted, credible volunteer.
- COURSE ONE: Adjudicating Speech and Debate. (This is a free course.)
- COURSE TWO: Protecting Students from Abuse. (This is a free course.)
- COURSE THREE: Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. (This is a free course.)
- COURSE FOUR: First Aid, Health and Safety. (This is a $45 course.)
- COURSE FIVE: Bullying, Hazing and Inappropriate Behaviors. (This is a free course.)
- COURSE SIX: Teaching and Modeling Behavior. (This is a $20 course.)
Once you've completed all six courses, submit screenshots proving your completion and answering the other questions on the following form.
