Altruism Project: Understanding Human Needs and Making a Difference

Altruism Project

Altruism is the ability and willingness to help others. When a student develops a spirit of cooperation, empathy and generosity, these qualities enhance every lesson learned in the classroom and beyond. Altruism is often taught as part of philosophy, religion or psychology classes, although it can fit with many different subjects. Altruism activities not only help students learn more about the concept, but also experience altruism themselves.

Assignment Instructions: Consider the different kinds of needs people might have, such as food, shelter, money, education, friendship or transportation. Compile a list of these needs and place them into categories, such as “material needs” and “emotional needs.” Once you have identified these needs, discuss whether or not these needs are being met for different members of society. For example, people from low-income areas may not have access to education.

After you have become more aware of needs in society, plan an altruistic project. For example; volunteering at a homeless shelter or holding a fundraiser for a school in a poorer area. Explain how this project can improve society and make an impact on people’s lives. 

Assignment Requirements: APA format is required. Page 1 (title page), Page 2 (list of needs), Page 3 (altruistic project plan), and Page 4 (reference page).

Note: References and citations (in-text) are required to be in American Psychological Association (APA) format. Remember user resources located in the Plagiarism Information & APA Format Examples section for guidance.

 

Step-by-step guide to completing the Altruism Project

Follow these steps to organize your assignment according to your instructor’s requirements. Your paper must contain four pages, with each page serving a specific purpose.

Step 1: Prepare Page 1 — Title Page

Start by creating your APA 7th edition student title page. Center the following information on the page:

  • Altruism Project — your paper title, in bold.

  • Your full name.

  • Your school or university.

  • Your course name and number.

  • Your instructor’s name.

  • The assignment due date.

Remember to include the page number in the top-right corner. Use double spacing and one-inch margins unless your instructor provides different instructions. The APA Style student paper guide explains these formatting requirements.

https://www.apa.org

Step 2: Prepare Page 2 — List of Human Needs

On the second page, list different human needs and organize them into categories. Do more than list them: explain whether these needs are adequately met for different groups in society.

You can use the following examples to develop your discussion.

Category Examples of needs Are these needs being met?
Material needs Food, clothing, shelter, money, transportation Low-income families may struggle to afford food, housing, and reliable transportation.
Educational needs School access, books, internet, learning materials Students in underserved communities may lack educational resources or reliable internet access.
Emotional needs Friendship, love, belonging, encouragement People experiencing isolation may lack meaningful social connections and emotional support.
Health needs Medical care, medication, mental health support Financial barriers and limited local services can prevent people from receiving adequate care.
Social needs Community participation, inclusion, safety People experiencing homelessness or discrimination may face barriers to participation and belonging.

After listing the needs, explain that access varies according to income, location, disability, family circumstances, and available community resources. Avoid assuming that every person in a particular group experiences the same challenges.

You can connect your discussion to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which address poverty, hunger, health, and education.

United Nations Sustainable Development

Step 3: Prepare Page 3 — Altruistic Project Plan

Choose one realistic project that addresses a need you identified on Page 2. Your project should demonstrate generosity, empathy, cooperation, and a genuine commitment to helping others.

For example, you could propose a School Supplies Donation Drive for students in an underserved community.

Organize your project plan using the following headings.

A. Project Title

School Supplies Donation Drive for Underserved Students.

B. Identified Community Need

Explain that some students face difficulties accessing notebooks, pens, textbooks, and other essential learning materials because of financial constraints.

C. Project Objectives

State what you hope to achieve, such as collecting school supplies and improving access to learning resources for students who need assistance.

D. Planned Activities

  1. Identify a school or community organization that needs assistance.

  2. Consult teachers or community representatives to determine the most useful supplies.

  3. Organize a donation campaign involving students, families, and volunteers.

  4. Collect and sort donated materials.

  5. Coordinate delivery with the recipient organization.

  6. Evaluate the project by reviewing the supplies distributed and gathering feedback.

E. Resources Required

List the supplies, collection boxes, volunteers, transportation arrangements, and any funding needed. Obtain permission where required and coordinate with the receiving school before collecting donations.

F. Expected Impact on Society

Explain how the project could reduce the financial burden on families, improve students’ access to learning materials, encourage school participation, and strengthen community cooperation.

You can also explain how participating in the project may develop empathy and a stronger sense of social responsibility. Research reviews describe altruism and prosocial behavior in relation to actions intended to benefit others (Pfattheicher et al., 2022).

PubMed

Step 4: Prepare Page 4 — References

Your fourth page should contain the heading References, centered and bold. Include every source cited in your paper, formatted in APA style.

Here are examples of credible resources you can use.

Resource 1: Understanding altruism

Pfattheicher, S., Nielsen, Y. A., & Thielmann, I. (2022). Prosocial behavior and altruism: A review of concepts and definitions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 124–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.021

Read the research article on PubMed

Use this source to support your explanation of altruism and helping behavior.

Resource 2: Human needs and social inequalities

United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Use this resource to discuss poverty, hunger, health, education, and inequality.

Resource 3: APA formatting

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Paper format. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format

Review the official APA paper formatting guidelines

Use this resource to check your title page, page numbers, spacing, margins, and reference list.

https://apastyle.apa.org

Step 5: Add APA in-text citations

Whenever you use information from a source, acknowledge it in the text. For example:

  • Parenthetical citation: Altruism involves actions intended to benefit others (Pfattheicher et al., 2022).

  • Narrative citation: Pfattheicher et al. (2022) reviewed different definitions of altruism and prosocial behavior.

Make sure that each cited source appears on your reference page and that every reference listed is used in your paper.

Step 6: Check the four-page structure

Before submitting, verify that your assignment follows the required layout.

Page 1 — Title Page

Student and course details, paper title, due date, and page number.

Page 2 — List of Needs

Categorized human needs and a discussion of whether those needs are met in society.

Page 3 — Altruistic Project Plan

Community need, objectives, activities, resources, and expected impact.

Page 4 — References

APA-formatted sources with a hanging indent and double spacing.

Important: Your instructor has specified four pages, so keep your writing concise enough to fit the required layout. APA formatting conventions generally place the reference list on a new page, and your instructor’s explicit page requirements should guide how you organize the assignment.

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