Summer Volunteer Programs for Teens

Many teens want to give back. They want to show how appreciative they are of everything they have in our lives by helping someone who is less fortunate. During the school year it is difficult, there is school, school work and then all of the after school activities that takes up so much of their time. I have found that a great way for teens to give back is through summer volunteer programs. Summer volunteer programs allow students who ordinarily are not able to donate their time to do so in a structured, efficient manner.

The best way to choose from the plethora of summer volunteer programs is to decide if there are any specific causes you want to help. If you are interested in feeding the homeless or helping malnourished children or rebuilding houses then you should focus on figuring out which summer volunteer program offers the best opportunity to do so. Some of the more popular programs are for children’s orphanages, soup kitchens, multiple non-profits, & homelessness.

Many of these summer volunteer programs take place outside of the residential United States. I have talked with kids who have helped underprivileged children in India (http://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/summer_volunteer_abroad.htm?gclid=COrs8sW6-5ACFQiaPAodORjz3A), to kids who have helped save the environment in Costa Rica (http://www.globalworkstravel.com/ssa_ce_Costa_Rica.php) and many more kids who have spent their summers abroad and the main thing I keep hearing over and over is how it was a life changing event. How volunteering abroad opened their eyes to new experience and put a new world-view in their heads.

For kids who want to stay in the residential United States there are also many good options for summer volunteer programs. A recent entry into the summer volunteer program has been Julian Krinsky’s Community Service Program (http://www.jkcp.com/enrichment/community.php) located just outside Philadelphia. What is great about this camp is that not only does it take kids to shelters and food kitchens, but it also holds classes and teaches kids about the underlying issues and causes behind the social issues at hand. I have met with a couple kids who attended this program in 2007 and they all said how valuable an experience it was. They were surprised at how people in their own country were living. Most of these were privileged teens that had never experienced the extreme poverty of the people they were helping.

I think that sending your teen to one of the many summer volunteer programs that are offered is a great way to let them experience life from another point of view. It will help them understand that not everybody lives a privileged life and hopefully encourage them to live a life of helping other and giving back. If you have any questions about how to find the right summer volunteer program for your son or daughter please contact me.