The youth at all stages of historical development represents one of the major social groups which is the most advanced and active part of the society. The characteristic feature of students is that process of their inclusion in public life goes not only through educational activity and vocational training, but also through the formation of new forms of manifestation of their own activity and a choice of forms of social interaction. One of such forms was voluntary activity of students’ groups which gains wide popularity in the second half of the 1950s and gradually acquires the organizational form of the groups of volunteers. Emergence of such groups proves social efficiency of the students’ construction brigades which consisted in acceleration of socialization of young people, formation of socially important values, morals, rules and norms. On the wide range of the sources, the article reveals the process of formation and development of voluntary activity of students’ groups in the Altai territory. Analysis is given to the forms and methods of voluntary work of Altai students.