High school students can learn from summer community service programs.
Summer community service programs can help high school students learn self-confidence, contribute to struggling communities in a positive way and gain noteworthy experience that can add extra shine to college entrance applications. Students can pick community service program opportunities that use their talents in a positive way, whether it's building a trail through rugged Alaska villages, spending time with urban pediatric AIDS patients or volunteering at the local library.
International Programs
Students can help build health clinics in Peruvian villages.
Participating in a high school summer community service program at the international level can be an exhilarating (although expensive) experience. Through the Global Routes community service agency, students can work with villagers on agriculturally sustainable permaculture techniques on the tropical island of Bali, help build a library or classroom in Ghana, or construct a health clinic in Peru. Stays can last several weeks and cost more than $5,000, excluding travel costs. Programs are designed for teenaged high school students and require parent or guardian approval for student participation.
Outdoor Programs
Students can volunteer and appreciate the cultures at Native American reservations.
High school students can spend time outside and help protect natural resources at a variety of summer community service programs. At Vision Service Adventures, high school students build bridges, plank trails, playgrounds and smokehouses for Alaskan villages. Students also plant trees in Mississippi estuaries or build traditional dance arbors on Montana Native American reservations. Programs can last as long as a month and cost about $5,000.
Government Programs
Students can volunteer in Washington, D.C. to serve the larger U.S. community.
Volunteering through government programs provides students the opportunity to work toward the common good. Students can participate in biomedical research through the National Institute of Health, work toward a healthier environment through the Environmental Protection Agency, or help with housing issues through the U.S. Department of Housing. Program duration varies by program, with no cost for participation.
College-Affiliated Programs
High school students can gain valuable community service experience while working with universities on various projects. Through the Summer Discovery program, students mentor underprivileged kids, preserve marine life or work with pediatric AIDS patients in partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles. Students also work in recycling, hunger relief efforts and river cleanup efforts in partnership with the University of Michigan. Programs last about three months, with costs exceeding $5,000.
Close-To-Home Programs
High school kids can read with children at local libraries.
While every program has value, there's no need to spend thousands of dollars or travel to do good work. High school students can volunteer in their own hometowns during the summer. Volunteer at the local library reading to young children, spend time socializing with elders at local rest homes, or pick up trash along the town's beaches or lakes. Help plant a neighborhood vegetable garden or volunteer to baby sit for a struggling family. For some students, part of the pleasure of community service is creating lasting, positive change in their own hometowns.
It's possible to find volunteer opportunities just by talking with representatives at local schools and libraries, but local YMCA or Boys and Girls Club of America branches are another resource for volunteer outlets. Call the organization's national headquarters to find branches in your vicinity.
YMCA National Headquarters
800-872-9622
ymca.net
Boys and Girls Club
404-487-5700
bgca.org
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