Friendship Circle International and researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine are conducting this research in partnership with Reinvention Foundation. The study examines how volunteering with Friendship Circle affects teenagers’ well-being. The $630,047 project is supported by a grant from Reinvention Foundation to Wake Forest University Health Sciences. The pilot is already underway.
Ariela R. Brafman, President and Executive Director of Reinvention Foundation, said: “What began as a learning journey about the youth well-being crisis led us to this research. If our hypothesis is correct that in-person volunteering can address many of the concerns facing teens today, this study will point to a promising and underinvested approach to teen well-being. We are proud to partner with Friendship Circle, an organization that engages teens in meaningful volunteering at scale and is uniquely positioned for this study. We are also grateful to Dr. Ballard, a leading researcher in the field, and her team at Wake Forest for bringing their expertise to the project.”
The study, “The Impact of Volunteering on Teen Well-being,” includes a pilot designed to involve up to 150 teen volunteers. A randomized controlled trial is planned to follow, with the project scheduled to run through November 2029.
The larger trial will compare teens randomly assigned to start volunteering immediately with teens assigned to start later. That comparison will help researchers test whether changes in well-being are due to volunteering.
The findings could help shluchim and shluchos improve local programs and give schools and other youth organizations evidence to guide their own volunteer programs.
Across Friendship Circle’s local chapters, teen volunteers spend time with kids and teens with disabilities through regular visits and shared activities. The study focuses on these sustained volunteer visits.
Mendel Groner, Executive Director of Friendship Circle International, said: “We know intuitively how much friendship matters to our well-being. We’re excited to work with researchers to better understand that connection and what it means for the teens who show up week after week.”
Researchers will examine changes in well-being, including social connectedness, confidence, and purpose, and explore which aspects of the volunteering experience may matter most for teens.
Dr. Parissa Ballard, a developmental psychologist and associate professor in Wake Forest’s Department of Family and Community Medicine, is leading the project. The research team includes specialists in adolescent development, clinical psychology, and biostatistics.
She said: “It is commonly known that doing good feels good. Through a rigorous research study, we are trying to learn exactly how volunteering supports teens’ well-being and positive development. We believe that volunteering is a key approach to help teens re-connect and contribute to their communities that also helps them thrive.”
Wake Forest leads study design, research ethics approvals, data collection, and analysis. Friendship Circle International coordinates chapter participation and survey logistics. Teens and chapter leaders will help develop research questions and surveys and interpret the findings.
About Friendship Circle International
Friendship Circle International supports a network of local Friendship Circle chapters that bring together people with disabilities, teen volunteers, and families through friendship and inclusive community programs. Learn more at friendshipcircle.com.
