College Students Work to Explore Careers

Last summer EJ completed an incredible job of self-discovery as a camp counselor in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.) summer program at Stanford University. He worked with middle and high school students who were guided to the program through their parents’ selection or were returning campers who were passionate about the program.

What Students Can Learn Through Career Jobs

EJ found that it was easier to work with the high school students who were focused on exploring a career in S.T.E.M. occupations. These students were more engaged in the program and had more confidence when participating in various activities. Through these wonderful and challenging experiences, my son learned the following:

• He has incredible leadership skills.
• As he became more engaged in the program, the students were excited about their learning.
• It was amazing to observe the students’ performance and growth during the program.
• As an employee, EJ was excited to receive his first formal performance evaluation that reflected his leadership successes.

Reflection

Now EJ is busy with a demanding college year of upper division science classes. The confidence he gained during his summer employment continues to inspire him in his current career path of study, discovery, and growth.

May your children value their many learning experiences!

Yvette

Copyright © 2019 by GenParenting

 

 

 

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

Copyright © 2019 by GenParenting

 

Resume Writing for Kids

As our children plan for their summer activities, some may need to write a resume for summer internship programs or for a neighborhood job. This resume template was designed to help our children organize their thoughts and experiences in a professional template. Children have used this format to obtain jobs as parents’ helpers, dog walkers, gardeners, babysitters, and to support work and community service activities. The template is also published as a blog in Vietnamese and Spanish on our website by Mary Ann Burke.

My Resume (What is your name, phone number, email, and address?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Career Goal or Job Title (What do you want to do?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Qualifications (What is your volunteer or paid experience with this type of work?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Accomplishments, Honors, and Awards (What are awards, honors, or activities that you do well?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Interests and Hobbies (How do you like to spend your time?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Other (What clubs, leadership positions, publications, and community service events have you participated in that are relevant to your areas of interest?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Job References (Who can we contact to talk about your experience with the job?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Lý lịch của tôi (Tên, số điện thoại, email và địa chỉ của bạn?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Mục Tiêu Nghề Nghiệp hoặc Chức Vụ (Bạn muốn làm gì?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Trình độ chuyên môn (Bạn có kinh nghiệm làm tình nguyện viên hoặc được trả lương về loại công việc này ra sao?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Thành tích, huy chương và giải thưởng (Những giải thưởng, huy chương hoặc hoạt động nào mà bạn làm tốt?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Mối quan tâm và sở thích (Bạn thích dành thời gian của mình như thế nào?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Khác (Câu lạc bộ, vị trí lãnh đạo, ấn phẩm và sự kiện dịch vụ cộng đồng nào bạn đã tham gia có liên quan đến lĩnh vực bạn quan tâm?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Người giới thiệu đi làm (Chúng tôi có thể liên hệ với ai để trao đổi về kinh nghiệm của bạn với công việc?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Mi currículum (¿Cuál es tu nombre, número de teléfono y dirección?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Carrera o puesto de trabajo objetivo (¿Qué es lo que quieres hacer?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Aptitudes (¿Cuál es tu experiencia pagada o voluntaria con este tipo de trabajo?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Logros, honores y premios (¿Qué premios, honores tienes o qué actividades haces bien?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Intereses y pasatiempos (¿Cómo te gusta pasar el tiempo?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Otros (¿En qué clubes, puestos de liderazgo, publicaciones y eventos de servicio comunitario has participado que sean importantes para tus áreas de interés?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Referencias laborales (¿A quién podemos contactar para hablar sobre tu experiencia con el trabajo?)

 

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

 

5. ______________________________________________________________________________