<p>If she loves photography, perhaps she could give some simple photography lessons to a few underprivileged children, or children in her community who would be interested in exploring photography. Perhaps a photo studio/professional photographer would be happy to donate some very inexpensive cameras (or funds for a few to be purchased) to get some young children started. Perhaps a store would donate a few cameras. I know someone who did something like this with tennis lessons, since tennnis was her hobby.</p>
<p>I can imagine that there are also some older adults who could use help in learning to organize family photos via computer, perhaps as gifts to their children or grandchildren. It might not be all that hard to organize a group through a church or synagogue. I know that my deceased parents had wanted to scan old family photos into the computer, put together a narrative, and place everything on DVD, but did not know where or how to start.</p>
<p>frazzled, that is such a good idea! This can also be done through your area’s senior center!</p>
<p>do you think the ban on kid volunteers will be permanent? I’d stay in contact with her first choice activity.</p>
<p>“I can imagine that there are also some older adults who could use help in learning to organize family photos via computer, perhaps as gifts to their children or grandchildren. It might not be all that hard to organize a group through a church or synagogue. I know that my deceased parents had wanted to scan old family photos into the computer, put together a narrative, and place everything on DVD, but did not know where or how to start.”</p>
<p>THIS is such a great idea. My H is involved in meals on wheels and is sure that his clients would LOVE that.</p>
<p>Did your daughter play a sport or like acting? If so, I have other thoughts?</p>
<p>yabeyabe: she played tennis in the fall and loves the sport; most of the facilities around this area, though, have paid clinics taught by professional teachers…not sure what role a volunteer would play, but it’s on the list…</p>
<p>
We had an almost identical experience along with the same action. After experiencing the problem we (my D) started up a collection and ended up with quite a few. The hospital was happy to received them and I’m sure the kids were very happy to have something to distract them and kill some time. There are lots of videos that kids have outgrown or are simply not watched that are just taking up space that can be put to good use at the hospitals that have players. This can be done outside of school if necessary by spreading the word among friends and family and have them spread the word further. It could probably be done in other ways as well - for example, by her making appeal presentations to various clubs and groups to check their homes and bring in the appropriate videos.</p>
<p>Most cities and counties are frequently looking for volunteers to help clean up parks, paint benches/tables, pull weeds, etc.</p>
<p>She could also connect with the parks departments and see what things they might need and perhaps even build some benches or tables - maybe even getting dad to pitch in on it as well. </p>
<p>My kids even volunteered to work the special holiday nighttime events they have for kids at the Wild Animal Park here which was kind of fun and still fulfilling some community service so if there’s something similar there at a city facility that’s something to look into as well.</p>
<p>DS2 worked with kids on a photography project as part of a camp he went to and really loved it. It was just a two-day thing, but he had lots of stories to tell.</p>
<p>I think back to what my own kids have done:
Habitat for my oldest became oversubscribed for #2. </p>
<p>DS2 started an afterschool tutoring program at an elementary school. It allowed kids who stayed in their afterschool care to get homework help at no cost. (Boys & Girls Club is another version of this.) He also helped out at Red Cross blood drives. He even made an effort to join the Key Club and collect $$$ as a Salvation Army Bell Ringer. </p>
<p>DS3 has done very different activities: Relay for Life (they’re always looking for school kids to start a chapter), Safe Rides, Church, and Community Band.</p>
<p>rodney, one hs student in our community sent out a flyer for kids to take home from school that offered them the opportunity to register for free tennis lessons. I guess this student gave a few free group tennis lessons. I don’t know if she was doing this for fun, teaching experience, to build her resume, get some paying customers for more lessons over the summer, etc., but I thought that it was a nice idea.</p>
<p>^^ That jogged my memory - when I was in HS I had a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor certification and taught swim to HS freshmen (swim was required at my HS) but I also taught swim on some weekends on a volunteer basis to adults and kids. We used the pool at school and I think it was free to the people who signed up. I really enjoyed that and I think it really helped out those who took the lessons. </p>
<p>Maybe your D can consider what skills she might have, whether it be the ability (and certification) to teach swim, teach tennis, teach some other sport, tutor, etc. - especially to any disadvantaged people who might not be able to afford to pay for the service.</p>
<p>Soup kitchens always need volunteers. How about volunteering at a Day Care center a couple of afternoons a week?</p>
<p>thank you all…ideas have spawned new ideas and we are on our way…now let’s see what piques her interest…I’ll post when we have a plan; thanks again!!</p>
<p>I think passion is a wonderful gift if one stumbles upon it-- wouldn’t we all want that feeling or for our kids to have that feeling? But I also think it is way over-rated nowadays and really gets my goat. The concept puts useless and unrealistic pressure on a lot of kids and sometimes their parents too. </p>
<p>Nothing is wrong that needs to be fixed if kids “only like” what they do, or they enjoy a few things and have a happy life. One needn’t be obsessed or excited about one thing around which they can build their teenage identity and resume. They have a lifetime ahead of them. They aren’t failing or falling behind if they haven’t yet found a “passion” and they shouldn’t have to spend their remaining days of childhood hunting for something in place of being. I don’t think this is the OP’s concern at all, but sense her son is picking up that pressure that so many normal teenagers feel. I guess you could say I feel some frustration with this whole ‘passion’ business. </p>
<p>Many (if not most) people don’t find what really turns their crank until they are mature adults. Many childhood passions are neither predictive of adult passions, nor predictive of being passionate as a person in adulthood. Many people never identify a ‘passion’ but live very productive, contributing, and highly successful and happy lives. And many people find lots of different stuff floats their boat a bit, more than one particular thing floating the whole boat.</p>
<p>Moreover, it can be that the underlying thing that really lights one’s fire isn’t something that fits into one definable, measurable “EC” to which one can belong, with a corresponding set of lessons, levels, leadership, clubs or awards that can show up on a college application. Just as one example, but there are hundreds more, my D is very creative- it shows up in a million small ways on a daily and weekly basis. Everything that excites her is driven by creating (in almost any form but no particular form): from school assignments that require creativity, to her halloween costumes, to the videos she makes, to the games she invents with her friends, to the acting she does, or the business ideas she comes up with on a drive to the pool. It’s how her brain is wired, it is what fundamentally fuels her being, but it’s not the kind of thing that can be (nor does she want it to be) bottled into an impressive resume of awards or clubs or certifiable achieved activities. </p>
<p>It’s supposedly ‘passion’ we are seeking to observe in teenagers, but if so, why is it that some passions count more than others? Why should video-game playing or face painting be judged differently than say piano or oil portraits, if it’s passion that we are talking about? And if it’s passion colleges care about, why must it grow into new activities or leadership? Maybe someone’s child LOVES building bicycles or collecting stamps, and they don’t WANT to move it to the ‘next level’ such as building a business around it, or leading a club around it? Often those next level things take one <em>away</em> from the underlying passion for the sake of instrumental resume building (stamp collecting is a VERY different activity than leading a stamp collecting club and just because you love one doesn’t at all suggest you would love the other). And I think it is a shame kids feel they need to do that. </p>
<p>Okay off my soap box. I guess I derailed this somewhat (sorry OP!). To go back to the OP’s question my suggestion is to have a look at volunteer opportunities and part-time jobs on Craigslist. Lots of organizations list there.</p>
<p>update: Thank you all for your great ideas…
My daughter has decided on the following:
- she will begin volunteering this weekend at a local tennis club that provides reduced rate clinics to low income kids…</p>
<p>2) she signed up with American Red Cross to help out at blood drives (thank you, DougBetsy for that idea)</p>
<p>3) our synagogue is running a blood drive that she has signed up to help with as well</p>
<p>4) as mentioned on another thread, she is starting an online blog to help other children and teens with celiac disease…how to handle when diagnosed, what to do about social situations and how to navigate the college search…I’ll PM the blog to to those interested when it’s up and running…</p>
<p>Ideas that we loved but didn’t work into the schedule right now…thanks yabeyabe for the mental health idea…loved it but not right now…</p>
<p>abasket: reading program apparently is filled in our area right now but thank you…</p>
<p>and thanks to everyone who PM’ed me…it’s good to know that so many parents on CC have such valuable info!!</p>
<p>That looks like a great list! </p>
<p>Best of luck to her!</p>
<p>It sounds as if she’s on her way and will be quite busy. I’m sure she’ll do well.</p>
<p>We are coordinators for our local homeless ministry. We have kids help make lunches, set up the mattresses and make the beds, and things like that before our guests arrive (we don’t allow kids under 18 once the guests are here for a multitude of reasons). But the kids make those tasks so much more manageable.</p>