Given a growing interest in promoting social participation in education through voluntary work, the aim of this article is to analyze the main characteristics, life satisfaction and values of eight hundred sixty eight volunteers who participated in the Independent Measurement of Learning project (MIA, by its initials in Spanish). The objective is to think about strategies to promote volunteer work as a way to improve education and raise qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The results indicate that MIA volunteers are infrequent, oriented to campaigns, instrumental and have high levels of life satisfaction and personal values. The need to promote volunteer work is discussed and it is emphasized that the educational theme has a strong capacity for mobilization.