ENGAGE fair connecting volunteers with nonprofits sees highest-ever attendance

By Lou Ponsi

One challenge for nonprofits that depend on volunteers to further their good work is simply getting the word out, said Philip Krajeski, area captain of Zero Trash, a nonprofit that organizes trash pickups in local towns. That’s why partnering with the student-led group ENGAGE has worked well for Zero Trash, Krajeski said.

Other community groups that have partnered with ENGAGE feel the same way.

High school students and their parents learn about ways to get involved in various community organizations and nonprofits during the ENGAGE Fair, put on by Dana Hills High School students, at the Sea Country Community Center on April 10, 2023.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

Started two years ago by Dana Hills High senior Sophie Andersen, ENGAGE connects students throughout the Capistrano Unified School District who are looking to volunteer with organizations that need volunteers, as well as connects students to job opportunities with businesses.

Krajeski was among representatives from close to 25 community organizations that were sharing information with prospective student volunteers at ENGAGE’s most recent volunteer fair on April 10 at Sea Country Community Center in Laguna Niguel.

“Raising awareness about what we’re doing and what our mission is … is where ENGAGE has really helped us,” Krajeski said. “They really gave me a platform to share what I am, to get to my target – those people who want to volunteer, which is, a lot of time, high school students. It’s been a wonderful, symbiotic relationship.”

Maxim Surakov, left, an eighth grader at Niguel Hills Middle School, and his dad, Lubo Surakov, speak with City of Laguna Niguel Youth Committee member Melody Moeinzadeh and Parks and Recreation representative Gerry Ordiano during the ENGAGE Fair at the Sea Country Community Center on April 10, 2023.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

When Andersen started ENGAGE, her goal was to connect students with volunteer opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the lockdown caused a disconnect between prospective student volunteers and the organizations seeking them. The first ENGAGE fair was held in fall 2021 during lunch on the Dana Hills High campus above the football field. Two organizations showed up.

The second fair took place in spring 2022, in the school’s main building in a space called the Mall. This time, five organizations showed up. So, Andersen decided to kick it up a notch.

She enlisted the help of friends Apoorvi Singh, a sophomore at Tesoro, and Anusha Misra, launched an outreach campaign and decided to open the fair to high school students throughout the district, not only from Dana Hills High. The engagement fair in October 2022 drew more than 20 organizations and more than 100 students who showed up at Dana Hills High looking for volunteer opportunities.

The ENGAGE Fair leadership team consisting of Dana Hills High School students Eve Chavez, Apoorvi Singh, Sophie Andersen, Anusha Misra and Madeline Keene, from left, stand together during a fair that featured about 30 organizations and nonprofits at the Sea Country Community Center on April 10, 2023.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

Then, in an effort to reach even more students, Andersen, Singh, Misra and the other student members of ENGAGE partnered with the Laguna Niguel Youth Board and invited middle and elementary schoolers to attend the April 10 event.

“It’s really nice to be able to bring these opportunities to students in our district,” Misra said. “Not only is it an incredible opportunity for students, it’s an incredible opportunity for organizations.”

Growing the team and doing more outreach, especially through social media, were the keys to growing the fair, Andersen said. ENGAGE has connected with thousands of people through its Instagram account.

“But also, relentless communication,” Andersen said. “We do our best to really reach out to a broad network of people and then ask those people to tap into their networks as well. I think we’ve really developed a successful way of doing this now.”

On the large turnout at the past two volunteer fairs, Andersen said, “It’s something to marvel at. I’m incredibly proud.”

Organizations on hand for the recent fair included the cities of Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and San Clemente, the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, Ronald McDonald House of OC, YMCA of Orange County, the Pet Project Foundation and many others.

Sawyer Gratton of Dana Point, center, and her daughters Kimmy Gratton, left, and Drew Gratton, a sophomore at Dana Hills High School, chat with representatives from the American Association of University Women during the ENGAGE Fair on April 10, 2023.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

“We want there to be something for everyone,” Singh said. “We want them to be able to grow their passion through volunteering and engagement in their community.”

After Andersen graduates in the spring, Singh and Misra will be taking over as the main organizers of ENGAGE.

“I’m super excited and I’m really grateful that Sophie has left us with such a strong foundation to start and make it even bigger,” Misra said.