Leading Your School’s Chapter of UNICEF Club

Founded in 1946 to serve children affected by World War II, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations program that supports and defends the rights of children across 190 countries and territories. While some funding comes from governments, UNICEF also accepts and relies on donations raised by private donors.

UNICEF High School Clubs help educate, advocate, and fundraise for the programs. The organization provides many resources for high school students looking to get involved or start a chapter, including guidelines, curricula, activity suggestions via the website. In this guide, we will discuss how you can become a leader in your school’s UNICEF Club and why it matters.

Becoming a leader in UNICEF Club: the why

Developing and mastering leadership skills will prepare you for success in many areas of your life, both now and in the future. These skills are important for speaking, engaging in respectful debate, managing others, delegating responsibilities, and many other tasks required for personal and professional success.

Formal leadership positions are also great for your resume. As we discuss in Your Resume Revamped: Securing Leadership Positions and Perfecting Your Extracurricular Profile, having leadership positions in high school demonstrates that you are responsible, dedicated, and talented. These are qualities college admissions committees look for in their students, so securing these positions now—especially for an important and noteworthy organization like UNICEF—will show them that you have what it takes to be a successful student and potential leader on their campuses.

Getting involved with UNICEF will allow you to use your problem-solving skills and creativity to work for a good cause that brings about a positive change in the world. You will also learn more about humanitarian issues, the United Nations, and global perspectives on current topics. That means UNICEF is an especially good fit for students interested in volunteering and better their communities and the larger world, as well as students who are considering a major or career in international studies or politics.

Becoming a leader in UNICEF Club: the how

Before becoming a leader in the club, you need to get involved. You can’t be a leader until you are familiar with the activity itself. As a member of the group, establish a reputation for yourself as reliable, well-informed, and active. Make sure you get along well with other members of the club. Observe your local club and speak to the club’s advisor about the election or selection of formal leadership positions, if this is something that appeals to you.

If your school doesn’t have a UNICEF club, start your own. Doing so demonstrating initiative and commitment to the cause. The UNICEF High School Clubs website offers a guide to starting a club, including instructions, resources, and other important information.

Becoming a great UNICEF Club leader

In order to effectively lead your UNICEF club, you will need organizational skills for managing the practical and administrative aspects of the organization. You will also need to have strong people skills, which will enable you to successfully manage the members of your group and delegate tasks.

As the leader of a club that is affiliated with the overarching UNICEF organization, you will need to develop connections with the organization itself and local chapters. This will help you establish partnerships and receive assistance in setting up or collaborating on fundraising and other events.

_­­­­It is also essential that you are responsible and reliable. These traits are extremely important for any leadership position, but especially one that involve fundraising and handling money, as UNICEF does.

Finally, part of what makes a leader successful and respected is his or her sense of creativity and innovation. These skills probably helped you become the leader or your club, so use them. Come up with fun and creative ideas for events and fundraising efforts to keep your members engaged and recruit new members, such as collaborating with a restaurant to host a fundraiser, conducting a silent auction or raffle, or having a bake sale. (For more ideas, read How to Plan and Execute an Effective Fundraiser for High School Extracurriculars.)

For more information about the organization and leading or establishing a club at your school, visit the UNICEF website and the UNICEF High School Clubs page.

To find out more about the importance of leadership and extracurricular activities and how to get involved, check out CollegeVine’s blog posts here.

Also check out these posts about related activities:

How to Spend Your Summer as a Prospective Poli Sci Major

How to Start a Discussion Club in High School

Should I Join Class Board or Student Government?

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