virtual volunteering project FAQs
how old do I have to be to volunteer virtually?
Many online volunteering programs have no age limits for online volunteers. The youngest volunteer that the Virtual Volunteering Project has involved was 14 years old. We assume that if a volunteer can navigate our site, and find and complete our online application, they are old enough to volunteer with us.
However, if you are under 18, we strongly suggest that you let your parents know that you are looking for an online volunteering opportunity, and copy them on key e-mail exhanges with agencies you are assisting (for instance, when you turn in an assignment, e-mail or print out a copy for your parents). Also, there are guidelines for Safety in Online Volunteering Programs that you should adhere to.
For those of you under 13, please note that, as a result of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPA), passed by Congress in 1998, the Federal Trade Commission adopted new rules on how privacy policies should be posted and what companies need to do to comply with prohibition from collecting personal information from young people without a parent's permission. The rules take effect in April 2000, and require that all Web sites that gather information from children under 13 first gain "verifiable parental consent." Talk with your parents and the agency you want to assist if this applies to you.
For more information about the FTC's rules, visit the FTC Web site for this information, and review news articles about these rules that were published in October 1999 in The New York Times by Jeri Clausing, San Jose Mercury (by Deborah Kong) and Wall Street Journal Interactive, in an article by Ted Bridis of the Associated Press (note that you may have to register online and pay a fee to access the online versions of these news articles).
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If you have other questions and cannot find the answers on this web site, please contact us.