Summer Growth Opportunities (volunteer or job)

I need ideas for a summer growth opportunity for my incoming 9th grader. She’s academically smart but has a lot of growth opportunities in building people & conversational skills, street smarts, assertiveness, etc. I’m thinking that an ideal summer volunteer opportunity (maybe a job but she’d only be 14) would “force” her to be independent from me (mom), talk to adults and problem solve. She is responsible and takes/follows instructions well but her strength (at least not yet!) is not problem solving when things don’t go as planned/instructed.

She and I volunteered at a local Good Will-type place throughout last summer but the volunteer tasks involved sorting donated items where she did not talk to anyone once she received instructions. She doesn’t particularly love kids so babysitting or running a mini kids camp would probably not be her first choice.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. TIA!

All 5 of my kids starting working at 14 (can get working papers in my state). My girls worked as cashiers and my boys laborers. My youngest daughter was so shy when she started, and so not shy by the time she was 18.

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You should check out the RoundPier Summer Immersion program, a junior internship for high school students! It’s all free and virtual, and you get a lot of great resume & leadership experiences.

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