Summer Volunteer Opportunities for Your Middle Schooler

Summer time is the perfect time for your middle schooler to unwind, relax, and catch up with some sleep! While it is developmentally appropriate for your young teen to take a mental break from academic studies, the summer also opens the doors for gaining new skills, exploring new interests, and giving back to the community. In this three-part “Summer Opportunities for Your Middle Schooler” series, we’ll explore some youth-friendly activities! In this post, we will focus on the benefits of volunteering.

Volunteer Choices

Volunteering is a great way for your middle schooler to think about the world outside of their comfort zone. Getting involved in an organization will help your teen learn more about different causes in your community and will help them be more compassionate towards others. Not only will your child practice being responsible in their volunteer role, they will also gain some job experience, which they will need as they might look for paid jobs while in high school.

Here are some volunteer positions your child might consider:

Sorting food donations at a food bank
Helping with various duties at your local library
Cleaning creeks, or parks through the local Parks and Recreation Department
Participating in a beach clean-up
Serving food at a senior center or community center
Being an animal buddy (or other service job) at an animal shelter

Benefits

Most of these volunteer positions for youth will provide training and will make sure your child is a good fit for the job. Since middle schoolers are minors, these volunteer positions might also require adult or parental presence while the children are performing their duties. Look for one-time activities to try out different volunteer opportunities, or find volunteer positions that are scheduled weekly for one or two hours each session. There’s something out there to explore for every interest. Let your kids experience something new and give back to your community.

Happy volunteering!

Jaime