More college students have been donating time at a number of nonprofit organizations in order to give back to their communities and begin a potentially lifelong commitment to giving.

USA Today cites a study from Volunteering in America, which found that the total number of hours volunteered by young adults increased from 2009 to 2010. While the total number of students volunteering dropped, the time spent doing good was on the rise.

One of the organizations that is seeing more participation is Teach For America, which puts recent graduates in communities with struggling school systems.

"I don't think people are just jumping on the bandwagon to do service because the economy is shaky," said Elissa Kim, Teach for America's executive vice president of recruitment and admission, in an interview with the newspaper. "People are very attuned to what we are asking for and the challenge of the teaching experience. They reflect on [whether] this is the right thing for them before they commit."

Teach For America is planning to expand in the coming years, thanks to a grant from the federal government, which will help grow the program to a total of 60 school districts.