YouthWell, a Santa Barbara County nonprofit dedicated to youth mental health and wellness, is offering a free online directory connecting youth, families, and school career centers to vetted volunteer and internship opportunities across Santa Barbara County.

The directory is available at youthwell.org/volunteer-opportunities.

The resource features 70-plus opportunities spanning service areas, including health and wellness, education, environmental advocacy and animals organized to help students quickly find opportunities that match their interests, schedule and location.

Each listing has been researched and compiled by members of YouthWell’s Youth Advocacy Board (YAB), a high school leadership program focused on mental health advocacy.

The directory was designed to help reduce the stress that families and students face when searching for meaningful community involvement, especially for students navigating service-hour requirements.

“As a youth mental health organization, we know that finding the right opportunity shouldn’t feel like a second job,” said Rachael Steidl, YouthWell executive director.

“Whether a student needs service hours, wants to explore a career path, or simply wants to stay engaged this summer, this directory gives them a real starting point, and peace of mind for their families,” she said.

With summer approaching, YouthWell is also promoting the directory as a mental health resource in its own right.

Research consistently links youth engagement, structured activity, and community connection to improved mental well-being, particularly during unstructured months when young people are at greater risk for isolation, the nonprofit reports.

“I wanted to build something I wish I’d had when I was figuring out where to volunteer,” said a YAB student leader. “It took us a lot of work to find and verify these organizations, so that students and families don’t have to start from scratch.”

The directory is updated biannually and is free to access. Organizations seeking to add a free listing may submit through the directory website.