Union County Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students: 2025-2026

High school students in Union County, NJ, have various volunteer programs for service hours via county initiatives and libraries, with flexible starts in 2025 or even plan to start in January 2026 for Spring semester roles.

The listings below are just some of the current opportunities we found, including grades/ages, descriptions, addresses, URLs, and contacts.​

Union County Teen and NJ High School Volunteer Opportunities

SHOUT (Students Helping OUT) Program
Ages 12-18
Matches students to short-term placements (max 25 hours) in agencies/businesses; needs student ID/report card.
Union County-wide (1143-1145 E. Jersey St, Elizabeth, NJ 07201)
ucnj.org/youth
(908) 558-2520 or Norma N. Nunez at (908) 558-2532​

Union Public Library VolunTeens
Grades 7-12 (Union residents/students priority)
Shelve books, lead kids’ programs, events; quarterly orientations (next Jan 2026).
1980 Morris Ave, Union, NJ
uplnj.org/volunteer-opportunities-teens/
teens@uplnj.org​

Elizabeth Public Library
Grades 9-12 (local priority)
YA/children’s support, book reviews, teen projects.
11 S Broad St, Elizabeth, NJ
elizpl.org/TeenVolunteers.html

Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County
Grades 6-12
Assist after-school programs (2:30-6:30pm), events, maintenance at multiple clubs.
Multiple (e.g., Elizabeth Club, 129 Broad St, Elizabeth, NJ 07202)
bgcuc.org/volunteer/
Find club-specific roles via their website​

Union Township Community Action Organization
High school students
Community center activities, early childhood support; flexible tasks.
3146 Morris Ave, Union, NJ
utcao.com
(908) 686-6150 or efrye@utcao.com​

Office of Community Engagement and Diversity
High school students
Virtual/in-person cultural events, drives, workshops.
Union County (Elizabeth offices)
ucnj.org/community-engagement-diversity/
You can also try to contact Judith Guest at (908) 527-4388​​