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A Summer of Service
Summer Volunteer Opportunities for Teens
By Emily Puro
Service learning is becoming an integral part of the curriculum at many middle and high schools, with teens eager to gain real world experience while contributing to the greater good. Summer is a great time for these youngsters to take their volunteering efforts to the next level. And with jobs few and far between, donating time to a good cause may be especially attractive to teens this summer.
Locally, there are numerous opportunities for teens to get involved in service projects with other teens, combining fun social gatherings with opportunities to serve. Many summer camps welcome teens who want to mentor younger children as junior counselors, and Hand On Greater Portland is working to increase access for teens who want to volunteer in the community by organizing teen-specific projects. The projects welcome volunteers between 14 and 18 years old, with older teens acting as project leaders.
“It’s kind of cool to be able to volunteer without your parents and see what appeals to you as you’re growing into your adulthood,” says Hands on Greater Portland’s School, Youth & Family Program Coordinator Molly McFatrich.
For example, Beaverton teen Sammy Westover, 16, has volunteered with the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) for years. She began as a camper at age 8 or 9, then went on to become a shelter volunteer. Westover has fostered animals in her home, works a regular shift at the shelter caring for animals, and often works with younger children during OHS summer camps.
“I feel that it’s taught me how to work with people better and learn how much people relate to animals when they go through problems,” she says. “It’s just an overall great experience.”
If your teen has a passion for politics, they may want to look into volunteering with The Bus Project, the Oregon nonprofit that engages young people by training them in grass roots democracy, campaigning for progressive candidates. Even though it’s not an election year, the Bus Project is welcoming teen volunteers this summer. Spokesperson Noah Manger says, “we do our best to give volunteers the space to be creative and develop leadership skills.”
The potential projects teens might work on include helping stage forums at local venues, getting involved with day-to-day operations and assisting with planning for the nonprofit’s gala event, The Wheelies. Manger adds that teens can volunteer part-time, full-time or even on a drop-in basis.
For students interested in combining service with world travel, numerous organizations offer summer travel programs specifically for teens. Cross Cultural Solutions is one, operating a Teen Volunteer Abroad Program for 15- to 17-year-olds unaccompanied by parents. Summer 2009 destinations include China, Costa Rica, Ghana and Guatemala.
“They work as a group so they get to bond as teenagers and they also get to bond with the local people they’re working side by side with,” says Kam Santos, director of communications for Cross Cultural Solutions. Teens typically work in orphanages, schools for children with disabilities, community centers for at-risk youth, homes for the elderly and other local service centers, says Santos. They learn some of the local language and get to know a diverse group of volunteers and locals.
Santos encourages teens who are interested in volunteering abroad – and their parents – to contact the travel organizations to discuss their options. “It’s going to be an amazing experience no matter where they choose,” she says, “but obviously there is a right place for each individual.”
Summer Service Learning Resources
General Volunteering:
Local agencies offering volunteer opportunities are too numerous to list here. Contact an agency doing work that interests you or visit these Web sites to find appropriate projects for your family:
Hands On Greater Portland: Lists local volunteer opportunities. Search or browse the calendar for “Family” and “Teen” to find appropriate projects. www.handsonportland.org; 503-200-3355
The Bus Project: Engages young people in hands-on democracy projects. www.busproject.org.
Action Without Borders: Lists local, national and international volunteer opportunities as well as nonprofit jobs, groups and more. www.idealist.org
Summer Camps:
Westwind in the City: The YWCA is launching a day camp this summer with weekly sessions incorporating service learning into a variety of themes for ages 5 to 14, as well as a teen volunteer program for ages 15 and older. tinyurl.com/westwind; 503-294-7460
Oregon Episcopal School: OES will offer a new camp this summer focused on service learning for middle school students (“Service Learning and Leadership: Our Power for Good”). Other camps incorporate service learning activities as appropriate for weekly themes. www.oes.edu/summer; 503-768-3145
Portland Environmental Engagement Program (PEEPS): Environmental camps with a service learning focus for ages 10 to 13 and Jr. Counselor opportunities for ages 14 and 15. www.portlandpeeps.org, 503-234-2383, ext. 119
Tualatin Riverkeepers: Day camp for ages 6 to 14 focusing on the Tualatin River Watershed. www.tualatinriverkeepers.org, 503-620-7507
Volunteer Vacations:
Cross Cultural Solutions: International trips for families with children 8 and older; teen trips for ages 15 to 17. www.crossculturalsolutions.org; 800-380-4777
Global Citizens’ Network: National an international volunteer trips for families with children 8 and older. www.globalcitizens.org; 800-644-9292
Global Volunteers: National and international volunteer trips for families. (Each program has different age guidelines.) www.globalvolunteers.org; 800-487-1074
Habitat for Humanity International – Global Village: National and international trips to build housing. No children younger than 16, but teens 16 and older can participate with or without a parent. www.habitat.org/gv/; 800-422-4828, ext. 7530
Rustic Pathways: National and international trips geared toward teens 12 and up. Some family trips are available. www.rusticpathways.com; 800-321-4353
Volunteers for Peace: National and international projects for families with children 5 and older; teen trips for ages 14 to 17. www.vfp.org; 802-259 -2759
Emily Puro is a Portland freelance writer and mom.
