Free Summer Programs for High School Students
By Will Geiger and Kira Ranieri
Summer vacation represents three months of opportunity for students. After all, summer is a blank slate for students with no classes, clubs, or minimal required activities. Luckily, there are summer programs for high school students with every interest.
Keep on reading to learn more about free and affordable summer programs for high school students, as well as some other ways to spend your time!For the student who wants to make a social impactChances are that the nonprofits or social impact organizations in your town or community are in need of volunteers. Many opportunities are both in person and/or virtual, giving you the option to be in the setting that makes you the most comfortable. It is best if you look into organizations that are aligned with your interests. So if you are a history buff, maybe you can look into volunteering opportunities at your local historical society. Or another very popular volunteer opportunity for any animal lovers is volunteering with your local animal shelter or humane society. Note that many opportunities may not be publicly available, so you may have to resort to cold calls or emails!For the student looking to jump-start their careerRemember that it’s never too early to start gaining some work experience! The earlier you start filling up your resume, the better. Oftentimes, community organizations offer internships to local high schoolers. Sometimes, they are paid, and other times, they are unpaid, so be prepared to seek out a part-time job to work in addition to your program just in case. Whether you end up working in local politics, at a soup kitchen, or at a small business, these experiences will help you shape the future of your career.For the student who loves coding and computer programmingBuild something cool! Whether you want to build a website or the next awesome app, there are plenty of resources online to get you started. Best of all, many of these resources are free! Code Academy is one of the best resources, as it is project-based so you are learning, but building things along the way. Code Academy will allow you to try your hand at a variety of programming languages including HTML, CSS, Python, Java Script, Java, SQL, and Ruby.For the student with a green thumbWhether you live in a city, near the ocean, or in a rural place, there are plenty of ways to get involved and keep your community green. Sponsor a local cleanup at a beach or river, volunteer at a local organic farm (check out WWOOF for a farm year you), or work with a non-profit that supports environmental initiatives like the Sierra Club.For the novelist Dedicate a few hours a day to write. Additionally, you should consider joining a writing workshop group (online or in-person) to help keep you accountable and on track. The month of November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), so you can keep the chapters coming! Another great way to get your work out there as a budding writer is to start your own blog! Having your own website filled with your work looks super impressive whether it’s job applications or college applications.For the student who truly does not know what they want to doGet a job! It doesn’t have to be a fancy job–that is not the point. In fact, retail and food service-type jobs can teach you a lot about the world, having responsibility, and working with lots of different types of people. Plus, you get a paycheck at the end of the week! A summer job is one of the most underrated things a student can do (and also impressive in the eyes of admissions officers).