Summer Opportunities

Volunteering

Volunteering can be a great way to begin building a resume, to find out whether you might be interested in a career in a certain field, or just to contribute your time and efforts to a worthy cause.

In Singapore, the American Association has a lengthy list of volunteer opportunities. Students can also get involved in Youth for Causes. Piloted in 2003 to commemorate the centennial celebrations of both Citibank and YMCA in Singapore, the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes program has proven to be a runaway success. It has since grown from strength to strength, receiving prestigious endorsement on a national level by President S R Nathan as an event of President’s Challenge 2007. It gives students a chance to engage in real-life hands on community service; insights into the business world; enhances the team, project, and organizational leadership qualities of students; exposes them to volunteer organizations; and It's free!

In the US, students volunteer in libraries, in day camps and scout camps, and at parks. Landmark Volunteers is a non-profit organization that organizes two-week service opportunities at a variety of exciting sites throughout the country.

Cross-Cultural Solutions is a not-for-profit international volunteer organization that operates volunteer programs in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania, and Thailand. The New York Times writes about the program: "Akin to a mini-stint with the Peace Corps."

Looking for a summer community service project that incorporates global travel, language and cultural immersion? Lifeworks goes beyond a traditional teenage summer camp or adventure program. Their global community service summer programs for teens take place in the British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, Thailand, China and Australia.

Summer Jobs

The American Association in Singapore annually sponsors a Summer Employment Program for SAS students. Full details are available on the AAS website in April or May of each year. To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:

• Aged between 14 and 18
• Attending an international school in Singapore as a full-time student
• Hold a dependant's pass
• Be willing to work for a minimum of four weeks during the summer holidays
• Graduating seniors who are 18 or younger may participate if they have a letter from their school declaring their intention to participate in the program
• Registration closes in mid-June.
   

If you'd like to work at a U.S. summer camp, this database has a listing of camps that are looking for employees. Coolworks has information on jobs in National Parks and other cool places! This is a great site to find the perfect summer job in a vacation spot.

Activity and Wilderness Camps

Some students enjoy being active in the summer. There are a wide variety of camps and organizations that offer opportunities for biking, hiking, sailing, canoeing and even wilderness survival adventures such as Outward Bound. Student conservation crews offer a combination of physical activity and community service, with student groups involved in trail construction and maintenance, revegetation projects, and wildlife habitat improvement. ActionQuest offers adventure training programs for teenagers and specialize in sailing, scuba diving, waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, hiking, trekking, snorkeling and island exploration. Omega Teen Camp offers a new alternative to traditional teen summer camps that build confidence and self-esteem through fun and exciting activities.

Sports Camps

Want to improve your skills in a sport? Many local colleges as well as national organizations offer camps in a variety of individual and team sports. Two good ways to locate these camps are to do an internet search and to check at the local colleges in your home town.

Travel and Study Abroad

For students wanting to gain skills in a foreign language, experience life in another country, or just see the world, there are many summer programs that offer study, homestay and travel opportunities. A host of organizations that arrange summer travel and study are listed in Peterson’s.

The Center for Interim Programs offers individuals of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to explore different areas of interest via a personally tailored, experience-based format. Since its inception as the first organization of its kind in the United States, INTERIM has designed creative "time on" for over 3,500 young people between the ages of 15 and 70, and has created an ever-growing database of over 4,000 options worldwide.