Volunteering · Atlanta, Georgia
Volunteer opportunities for teens in Atlanta.
Where high school students can volunteer around Atlanta, with each place’s age rules, what you’d do, and when the competitive teen programs take applications.
By Lokesh Pampatti, founder of Clarity Prep · Updated October 18, 2026
This list covers Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, Roswell, and Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties. We read every age rule on the organization’s own site, last checked October 18, 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the link before you go. Pick your age to see what you can do now.
19 places around Atlanta.
Food banks and meals
- Atlanta Community Food Bank8+ with an adult
The Hunger Action Center on North Desert Drive, plus Community Food Centers in Stone Mountain, Marietta, Jonesboro and on MLK Jr. Drive
- Ages
- Ages 8 and up at most ongoing projects. Anyone under 18 volunteers with an adult chaperone who works the whole shift with them. Special events can have different rules.
- What you do
- Sort and pack food that goes to pantries across metro Atlanta.
- How to start
- Sign up for a shift online, then email the food bank to add the teen to the registration.
Hospitals and health
- MedShareOn your own at 14+
Decatur
- Ages
- Ages 10 to 17 with a signed parental permission form. Ages 10 to 13 come with a parent; ages 14 to 17 can come on their own once the form is in.
- What you do
- Sort and package surplus medical supplies that go to underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad.
- How to start
- Register for a volunteer session on MedShare’s volunteer page. Groups of more than five use the group request form.
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, VolunTEEN ProgramOn your own at 15+
Arthur M. Blank, Hughes Spalding and Scottish Rite hospitals
- Ages
- High school students ages 15 to 18 (15 by the program start).
- What you do
- An eight-week summer program in the hospitals, at least one three-hour shift a week, June 7 to July 31, 2027.
- How to start
- Pass the online volunteer assessment (80% or better) to unlock the application. Proof of immunizations, a flu shot and a TB blood test are required, plus a training day in early June.
- Apply
- February 1 to 5, 2027
- Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, teen volunteersOn your own at 16+
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital on Peachtree Road
- Ages
- High school students ages 16 and 17 (16 by June 1).
- What you do
- A summer program, June 8 to July 30, 2027. One regular weekday shift for at least six of the eight weeks.
- How to start
- Apply online during the window. Immunity to measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox is required, plus a TB test.
- Apply
- February 26 to March 12, 2027
- Wellstar Kennestone, VolunTeensOn your own at 16+
Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, Marietta
- Ages
- High school students ages 16 to 18.
- What you do
- A June-to-July summer program: one two-hour shift a week for six of the eight weeks, with a chance to keep going during the school year.
- How to start
- Apply online, then send immunization records and a form signed by your school counselor by February 28. Interviews are in March.
- Apply
- February 1 to 15
- Wellstar Cobb, VolunTeensOn your own at 16+
Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, Austell
- Ages
- High school students ages 16 to 18 who are interested in a health care career.
- What you do
- A summer program with one four-hour weekday shift a week (June 4 to July 29 in 2026).
- How to start
- Apply online, then send immunization records and a school records release signed by your counselor. Selected students get a 15-minute interview.
- Apply
- Deadline was March 31 for summer 2026; check the page in early 2027
Animal shelters
- LifeLine Animal Project10+ with an adult
The public animal shelters for Fulton and DeKalb counties
- Ages
- Ages 10 and up with a parent or designated adult at all times. You have to be 18 to volunteer on your own.
- What you do
- Teens can’t handle the animals, but they can socialize cats, make enrichment toys, help at events, run donation drives, and take photos.
- How to start
- Create a volunteer account, then attend an orientation at one of the shelters with your adult.
- FurkidsUnder 16 with a parent
Cat shelter in Cumming, plus events around metro Atlanta
- Ages
- Under 16 welcome with a parent or guardian. Puppy socialization is for ages 13 to 18 with a parent or guardian.
- What you do
- Cat shelter care (feeding, cleaning, playing with cats), puppy socialization, reading to cats, and donation drives teens run themselves.
- How to start
- Create a Volunteer Hub account with a parent, then finish the orientation or training for the program you want.
Parks, rivers and trees
- Trees AtlantaOn your own at 16+
Neighborhoods and parks across Atlanta
- Ages
- All ages at tree and meadow plantings (usually October to March); ages 12 and up recommended for tree care and forest restoration. Under 16 comes with a parent. Ages 16 and 17 can come alone with a waiver a parent signs.
- What you do
- Plant trees, care for young trees and pull invasive plants on weekend and weekday projects.
- How to start
- Create a volunteer account and sign up for a project. Bring the signed waiver if you are 16 or 17 and coming alone.
- Sweep the Hooch (Chattahoochee Riverkeeper)10+ with an adult
Sites along the Chattahoochee in three regions, including metro Atlanta
- Ages
- Walkers and waders 10 and up, solo paddlers 15 and up. Kids must be supervised by an adult who stays on site. Tandem paddlers 10 and up go with an adult 21 or older.
- What you do
- A one-morning river cleanup, Saturday, March 20, 2027.
- How to start
- Registration opens in February 2027. Everyone registers on their own and picks a site; sites fill up.
- Apply
- Registration opens February 2027
- Chattahoochee Nature CenterA parent signs you up
Roswell
- Ages
- Under 18: a parent fills out the volunteer application and waiver. Groups with volunteers ages 12 to 15 need one adult for every eight of them.
- What you do
- Volunteer regularly in one of the nature center’s departments, or come with a group to an event.
- How to start
- Fill out the individual volunteer application (a parent completes it for anyone under 18).
Museums, the zoo and gardens
- Fernbank Museum, Fernbank Youth Interpreters (FYI)On your own at 13+
Fernbank Museum, Druid Hills
- Ages
- Ages 13 to 17: at least 13 by September 1 and no older than 17 by June 1.
- What you do
- Run hands-on carts about biology, archaeology and fossils for visitors, and help with camps, Discovery Days and animal care. A one-year program, June through May, with at least 45 hours.
- How to start
- Details for the 2027–28 program come out in February 2027. New volunteers pay a one-time $50 fee, which can be waived.
- Apply
- Details posted February 2027
- Zoo Atlanta, Volunteen ProgramOn your own at 14+
Zoo Atlanta, Grant Park
- Ages
- Ages 14 to 17 by June 1, 2027, enrolled in high school for the next school year.
- What you do
- A year-long program, June to May, with at least 160 hours (100 of them in the summer). $30 orientation fee; scholarships available.
- How to start
- Apply online with an essay you write yourself (applications that use AI are rejected) and a recommendation from someone outside your family. TB test required.
- Apply
- January 1 to 31, 2027
- Atlanta Botanical Garden, SPEAKOn your own at 16+
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Midtown
- Ages
- High school students 16 and older. (General garden volunteers must be 18.)
- What you do
- Talk with visitors about sustainable gardening and climate at stations around the garden: 50 hours over June and July.
- How to start
- Apply online with a recommendation from an adult who isn’t a relative; group interviews follow in March. The 2026 application closed March 1.
- Apply
- Closed March 1 for summer 2026; check the page in early 2027
Libraries
- Gwinnett County Public LibraryOn your own at 13+
Branches across Gwinnett County
- Ages
- Ages 13 and up, with parental permission under 18.
- What you do
- Help at a branch, or join the Teen Advisory Council, which meets monthly to plan teen programs. Volunteers commit to 40 hours over 6 to 12 months.
- How to start
- Apply online on the library’s volunteer page. Applications stay on file for six months.
- DeKalb County Public LibraryOn your own at 14+
Branches across DeKalb County
- Ages
- Ages 14 and up. The Teen Advisory Board takes DeKalb County teens ages 14 to 18.
- What you do
- Help at a branch, or join the Teen Advisory Board, which meets monthly and earns volunteer hours.
- How to start
- Fill out the volunteer application online or at any branch; a branch contacts you for an interview. Teen Advisory Board applications open August 1 each year.
- Apply
- Teen Advisory Board: opens August 1
- Cobb County Public LibraryOn your own at 15+
Branches across Cobb County
- Ages
- Ages 15 and up. Volunteers 17 and older also need a background check.
- What you do
- Help at a library branch.
- How to start
- Fill out the library’s volunteer application, then contact the branch you want to work at to see if it has openings.
Building homes
- Atlanta Habitat for HumanityOn your own at 16+
Build sites and ReStores in metro Atlanta
- Ages
- Everyone must be 16 or older. Volunteers who are 16 or 17 need a waiver signed by a parent and can’t do some tasks, like using power tools.
- What you do
- Build and paint homes alongside the families who will live in them, or help at a ReStore.
- How to start
- Sign up as an individual or with a group through Atlanta Habitat’s volunteer pages.
Find more projects
- Hands On AtlantaAges vary by project
Projects across metro Atlanta
- Ages
- Age rules vary by project. Some are family-friendly; others require volunteers to be 16 or 18. Each listing shows its rules before you register.
- What you do
- One searchable calendar of volunteer projects with local nonprofits.
- How to start
- Search the project calendar, open a listing to check its age rule, and register.
When the teen programs take applications
The most sought-after teen spots, at hospitals, the zoo and museums, take applications once a year, months before they start. Put these on your calendar.
- JanuaryZoo Atlanta, Volunteen Program: January 1 to 31, 2027
- FebruaryChildren’s Healthcare of Atlanta, VolunTEEN Program: February 1 to 5, 2027
- FebruaryPiedmont Atlanta Hospital, teen volunteers: February 26 to March 12, 2027
- FebruaryWellstar Kennestone, VolunTeens: February 1 to 15
- FebruarySweep the Hooch (Chattahoochee Riverkeeper): Registration opens February 2027
- FebruaryFernbank Museum, Fernbank Youth Interpreters (FYI): Details posted February 2027
- FebruaryAtlanta Botanical Garden, SPEAK: Closed March 1 for summer 2026; check the page in early 2027
- MarchWellstar Cobb, VolunTeens: Deadline was March 31 for summer 2026; check the page in early 2027
- AugustDeKalb County Public Library: Teen Advisory Board: opens August 1
How to make it count
- Pick one or two places and stay. A year at one food bank says more than ten one-day events. Ask for more responsibility as you go, like training new volunteers or running a drive.
- Keep a log from day one: the date, hours, what you did, and a supervisor’s name and email. Schools, clubs and scholarships ask for it, and it is hard to rebuild later.
- Ask your school what counts. National Honor Society, Beta Club and similar clubs set their own hour rules, and some only accept certain kinds of service.
- Write about what changed. On the Common App you get 150 characters per activity. Lead with what you did and what came of it, not the hour count. See how many volunteer hours you need for college.
Know a place in Atlanta that takes teen volunteers and should be here? Email sessions@joinclarityprep.com with a link to its volunteer page.
Questions
Where can a 13-year-old volunteer in Atlanta?
On their own, with a parent’s permission: Fernbank Museum’s FYI program and Gwinnett County Public Library. With a parent or another adult along: Atlanta Community Food Bank, MedShare, LifeLine Animal Project and Sweep the Hooch.
Where can a 14-year-old volunteer in Atlanta without a parent?
MedShare, Fernbank Museum’s FYI program, Zoo Atlanta’s Volunteen program, Gwinnett County Public Library and DeKalb County Public Library. Atlanta Community Food Bank and LifeLine Animal Project need an adult along until 18.
Can teens volunteer at a hospital in Atlanta?
Yes, through summer teen programs that start at age 15: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s VolunTEEN program, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Cobb. They are competitive, ask for vaccine records and a TB test, and take applications in February and March for that summer.
Do colleges care where I volunteer?
They care more about what you did and how long you stuck with it than about the place or the hour count. 68% of colleges consider volunteer work, and 18% rate it important or very important, according to their own Common Data Sets.
Want help turning service into a stronger application?
Clarity Prep pairs high school students with a mentor who has been through it, plus an app that keeps the plan, the college list and every essay in one place. You get a weekly call and a check-in every Monday.