The Volunteer Academy — one of Sharek Youth Forum’s initiatives — offers a fresh perspective that restores volunteering to its right place. In this vision, volunteering is just as important as a resume, it is in fact a genuine investment that enhances its value and gives it both a human and professional dimension.
Through the Academy, participants gain practical, leadership-oriented skills and build a wide network of relationships, along hands-on field experiences that directly shape their personal and professional paths. Through training sessions and interactive workshops, participants learn the fundamentals and ethics of volunteer work, develop communication and teamwork skills, and learn how to document their experiences and turn them into tangible achievements that strengthen their professional profile.

The Academy also views the volunteer as a partner in shaping change, not merely a tool for carrying out activities, and works to build a generation of young people who are conscious of their role in society.
The Academy draws on an authentic value deeply rooted in our communal culture: the concept of “al-‘awna,” which translate to "the help" which embodies the spirit of solidarity and mutual support among members of society. Volunteering, then, is not an imported concept but a natural extension of this social heritage, one through which individuals support one another across different circumstances. Through this connection, the Academy strengthens participants’ sense of belonging, affirming that what they do is a continuation of authentic values that reflect their identity.

This blend of cultural authenticity and institutional professionalism gives the volunteer experience greater depth, turning every volunteer activity into an opportunity to revive a communal value, not merely an individual accomplishment.
The Volunteer Academy embodies the very essence of Sharek's mission — a belief that supporting youth is achieved not through slogans, but through practical initiatives that create tangible impact in their lives, by designing quality programs that empower young people to develop their skills and build clear pathways toward their future.