Top 10 Ways to Earn Cool Points From Your Parents
Check out these cool ways to get your parents off your back and have them eating out of the palm of your hand.

They'll be happy when your service hours help you land a scholarship for college. For a list awards and scholarships, go to the Youth Service America website (www.ysa.org/award_grant.cfm) or to the Awards & Scholarships section.

You'll spend less time in the house, which gives them less time to pester you. Looking for a reason to get outside and do something good? Try the Touch America Project (go to: www.fs.fed.us/people/programs/volunteer.htm#tap), where young people work with natural resources on America's public lands.

They'll love bragging about what a great kid you are... especially if you get involved in a long-term service project, such as those listed on the Points of Light website. To see a list of some national projects, go to: www.pointsoflight.org/programs/programs.html. Click on "Every One Wins When Youth Serve".

They will treat you more like an adult because you take the initiative to do something good in the world. Hook up with other global-minded teens at the Campfire Teens in Action campaign. Go to: www.campfire.org/teens

They'll stop hassling you about earning your community service requirements for graduation. Get the real deal behind service learning, why your school requires it and what you can do to fulfill your time, go to: www.LearnAndServe.org.

They'll know you're getting enough exercise because you'll be all buff from building a playground, running around with kids, or cleaning up a park. Wanna get down and dirty? Habitat for Humanity may be able to help. Go to: www.habitat.org/default.html

The guys/girls you meet at community service projects are the type your parents will be happy to have you date. Make lifelong friends through Landmark Volunteers, where youth campers get to help out at one of 65 U.S. landmarks. For more info, go to: www.volunteers.com.

They will think you are trustworthy because you are committed to something. What better way to prove you are committed than starting your own service project in your school or neighborhood? To learn how, go to: www.DoSomething.org.

When you're talking online for hours, they'll know that you could be posting messages and exchanging ideas with friends about your next community service project. That's what teens are doing on the NOISEboards at www.boards.YouthNOISE.com.

They will forgive you for having a messy room because you are too busy doing better things with your time. Want to do even more? Check out volunteer opportunities around the corner or around the world, go to: www.idealist.org.

--By Kate "KateNOISE" Quigley and Heather Keets Wright

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