Volunteer Opportunities

NYC Service was created by The Mayor’s Volunteer Center and United Way New York City to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities for New Yorkers.

Join the thousands of New Yorkers who help us keep our city’s parks and playgrounds clean and green. Find a program, upcoming volunteer event, or partner organization in your community where you can offer your service.

NOTE: NYC Parks is making important service changes. Find out more about additional safety precautions due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), program cancellations, and potential closures before you head to a park or recreation center. For more information, please visit NYC Parks Service Announcements

Queens Zoo
Discovery Guide Teen Volunteer Program - Educate zoo visitors about conservation and wildlife, while gaining experience in teaching, leadership, and public speaking. Discovery Guide positions at the Queens Zoo are open to high school and college-aged youth.

Bronx Zoo
Spend your summer conducting field research in NYC with a team of college students and scientists from Fordham University and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Project TRUE is both a social science research study and a youth development program. Project TRUE is a collaborative program between WCS and Fordham University and is funded by The National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-1421017 and DRL-1421019 and is a member of the Science Research Mentoring Consortium, funded by the Pinkerton Foundation.

Girls Scouts of Greater New York
Girls Scouts of Greater New York is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. They also offer scholarships for teens, the STEM program for girls, and volunteer opportunities.

Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai's Summer Junior Medical Program (JuMP), gives students, 15 – 17 the opportunity to learn from health care professionals, from both clinical and nonclinical areas, about the day-to-day responsibilities of a hospital. It is an 8-week program and volunteers must commit to 100 hours.

New York Presbyterian
Are you interested in being a part of the future of healthcare? Are you compassionate and eager to make a difference in patients' lives? Join other college students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare for a summer of intensive, hands-on learning in a dynamic hospital setting.

American Red Cross
Every single day, the American Red Cross helps people in emergencies. Whether it’s aiding one family displaced by a fire, assisting thousands affected by a hurricane or other natural disaster, or providing support to military members and their families, our vital work is made possible by our volunteers. Each one is an ordinary person like you, who helps us accomplish extraordinary things.

Prospect Park Volunteer Corps
Participate in various gardening and beautification projects, lead tours, help with office work and more as a member of the Prospect Park Volunteer Corps.

Free Arts NYC
Free Arts Days are special volunteer opportunities that pair elementary-aged youth 1 on 1 with volunteers for an afternoon of “mini-mentoring” and art-making. While working together to create art projects based on the day’s creative theme, participants create meaningful connections with someone they might not otherwise meet. 3-hour event, includes pizza lunch. Must be 18 years or older to volunteer. To receive these monthly opportunities, join the mailing list.

Volunteer at an Art Party
Volunteers will hand paint bags for the children in our program to take home their artwork! Tap into your creative side while creating a special gift for a child. No artistic experience necessary! 2-hour event, every 3rd Thursday of the month. Must be 16 years or older to volunteer. To receive these monthly opportunities, join the mailing list

New York Public Library
Homework Help - The Bronx Library Center needs volunteers to assist weekdays during after school hours with a variety of subjects. If you enjoy helping children and can offer 2 hours each week in any subject please fill out an application to be considered. Jewelry-making Volunteer Feeling crafty? Do you want to share your love of jewelry-making with others? A craft teacher / jewlery maker is needed to run a volunteer program for adults at our Morris Park Library on Saturday mornings or Tuesdays from 1pm to 2pm. Please fill out an application to be considered. Event Volunteer Assist at events at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Library and New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Volunteers needed for both day, evening and weekend events. Very flexible schedule but you must be over 21 years of age.

Information Desk Volunteers are needed on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and weekends at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Requirements include experience in a dynamic public information setting, passion for the mission of NYPL, and familiarity with the Stephen A. Schwarzman building. Distributing audio guides and conducting visitor surveys are key elements of work at the desks. Proficiency with computers and tablets is essential. Bilingual candidates are preferred, but all are welcome. By email (download the PDF, fill it out, and email it to volunteer@nypl.org).

Mentoring Programs

Next STEPS
Next STEPS is an initiative of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP for Neighborhood Safety) that offers one-on-one and group mentoring within a cognitive behavioral therapy-based curriculum designed to help young adults make the attitudinal and behavioral changes necessary to avoid criminal activity and reengage with education, work and community. DOP contracts with nonprofit organizations in targeted neighborhoods to provide a transformative mentoring designed intervene at a critical point in the lives of young adults who are: actively engaged and/or involved in serious violent activity (including domestic violence) and/or gang‐affiliated, who reside in or near targeted NYCHA housing developments throughout New York City.

The Mentoring Partnership of New York
The Mentoring Partnership of New York identifies the best Mentoring programs based on the mentee’s needs and interests.

IMentor
IMentor is a mentoring program between young people (high school student) and volunteer adult mentors (21+ with 2- or 4-year degree) through an innovative combination of e-mails, correspondence and in-person meetings.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC
Each year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC matches thousands of kids from all over New York City with an adult volunteer mentor who is ready, willing, and able to provide a child with the friendship, guidance, and advice s/he needs to achieve a brighter future.

Mentoring Youth in NYC
Mentoring Youth in NYC (MyNYC) is a mentoring program that works with high school students who will become first generation college students, providing them mentors and resources for the college application process, assistance that would otherwise be unavailable.

NYC Science Research and Mentoring Consortium | STEM Program
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a member of the NYC Science Research and Mentoring Consortium | STEM Program, a group of New York City-based academic, research and cultural institutions committed to providing underserved, underrepresented, and under resourced NYC high school students with mentored, authentic research experiences in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields.