NATURAL BEAUTY Design a community garden. Incorporate sculpture using found objects, both natural and man-made for decorative elements.

PLAYFUL ART Contact the city parks department about hosting a community art project such as mosaic stepping stones for a local park.

CREATE COMMUNITY 1) Organize a mural project from design to completion that honors your community's diverse heritage. The Social and Public Art Resource Center offers inspiration and resources. 2) Create a photo essay highlighting a community issue that you're passionate about. Publish your work on the web. Or host a showing of your work. Or devise another creative means of sharing your collection. The Blueearth website is a good source of inspiration.

FIND A NONPROFIT NEAR YOU Finding a non-profit to team up with for these or other volunteer services to can take some research. Some state associations include a member directory on their website. Find yours at the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. Two excellent networks to explore are the Volunteer Center National Network and Idealist.org including their kids and teen center.