<p>My wife and I are trying to sort out various things to do over the summer for our kids. Would like to hear from others to get some ideas of what's out there.</p>
<p>I’m going to do an engineering internshipish thing at a local company and self-study some mathematics and physics. Plus a trip to CFL Nationals for debate, where I will be beaten to a bloody pulp :)</p>
<p>“The Plans” are to make some money, combined with getting experience in their prospective fields.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Son, a college junior, has a paid internship in his field in a city far, far away.</p></li>
<li><p>Daughter, a high school senior, will be doing private child care about 30 hrs/week (this is not her prospective field), and hopes to line up some hours in a vet clinic or with an equine vet who does ‘stable calls’–unpaid will work fine for that part of the plan. It may help that the mother she is babysitting for is a veterinarian who knows daughter is planning on vet school some day.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>D2 hopes to get a paid internship at a nationally respected organization in a field she’s considering as a career option (college soph). Last summer, she did a (paid) music festival, independent study and volunteer work.</p>
<p>D3 will attend a summer music festival as (hopefully) an at-least partially funded scholarship applicant (hs senior). Last summer, she had a part-time job and attended a short music festival.</p>
<p>(S1, a college grad(!!!), will be continuing his paid position in his field.)</p>
<p>Daughter is going on a cruise with her Fiancee and his mom (paid for by the Mom, I’m jealous). Will be staying at college the rest of the time - has signed up for a couple of summer classes, will hopefully be continuing with some research at school. Hopes to also get a job and earn some money - last year jobs were impossible to find.</p>
<p>Son is hoping to start a full time job the monday after graduating. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>OP–how old are your children?</p>
<p>We had a fun vacation with our high school age children to Canada last year–but the extent of the French my daughter used was when she interpreted the waitress’s statement at dinner, “Here is some syrup for your crepes.” I asked her to buy the tickets one time, and she said (in English), “Four tickets, please.” We should have gone to more remote areas, I guess, if we really wanted some practice in French. </p>
<p>This summer my high school junior will be going to a church youth conference in the middle of the summer, which really affects what else she can do. She plans to go to an anatomy and physiology camp that we hope will help her decide the level of her interest in a medical career. My high school freshman plans to go to tennis training every weekday for four hours a day and play tournaments on the weekends. It is what he loves.</p>
<p>Volunteer work in Europe
Volunteer work locally with kids’ camp
Part-time paid job at restaurant
Driver’s ed and get license
Family time at the cabin, with a usual assortment of family friends visiting us from afar
First-aid/first responder certification
Family trip to Montreal</p>
<p>College junior plans to work in the same college lab/research job she had last year to make enough money to do an unpaid community/non-profit internship at the same time. Fortunately it’s a cheap town to spend the summer in, so this will probably be possible.</p>
<p>We’re still pushing for a more “traditional” job/internship, but this is a great back-up plan. Hey, somebody is going to pay her for summer work!</p>
<p>College junior has an internship out on the other coast.</p>
<p>High school senior - up in the air. He wants us to go to Vermont for a week or two. We think he should earn some money, though I think a language camp would be worthwhile.</p>
<p>I think every senior in high school should have this summer off. Last one they will ever have.</p>
<p>Work, work, work, work, and… oh wait, yeah. Not spend money.</p>
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<p>Nah, I don’t want the whole summer off. I’d be bored. But two or three weeks? I’d kill for it.</p>
<p>oldfort, I agree.</p>
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<p>I’m looking for ideas for my high schoolers. I’ve thought about travelling both domestic and abroad, and Canada is an excellent idea.</p>
<p>HS Senior:</p>
<p>Working at AberKids =]
Hanging out with Friends
Getting Ready for College
Trip to Washington D.C.</p>
<p>D1, a junior in college, will be working for 10 weeks at her “dream internship.” She is looking forward to be on her own in a big city.</p>
<p>D2, a sophomore in high school, will go to Putney Excel for 3 weeks, then move to our new place. She will have few weeks before she starts her new school. Keeping our fingers crossed that it will go smoothly.</p>
<p>I am hoping D1 will have sometime off to come visit us in our new home (country).</p>
<p>S1, soph in college, will be hearing any day about a fabulous internship. Will be very thankful if it comes through!</p>
<p>S2 wants to do some catering work and get his driver’s license. He will be spending spring break job hunting since I suspect we will not hear from colleges in time to make travel plans.</p>
<p>S-2 staying in California where he attends college to direct a short film he wrote during this past school year. He has it all lined up including funding from Elsewhere. Flying east for a week to be best man at his big brother’s wedding. He’s trying to get a summer job at a yogurt stand or anything just for pocket money. Suffering for his art in 37 flavors.</p>
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<p>Absolutely agree Oldfort! I know some kids can’t, but I really think if they can afford it, they should.</p>
<p>I have mixed feelings about S1’s plans (I’m a mother, I worry) but he is up for all of it. Other than a drive to Canada he’s never been out of the country or even to the west coast, so there will be a lot of “firsts” in terms of travel… and all of a sudden my life is starting to seem pretty dull!</p>
<p>Finish finals, head directly to China for two week’s visit to home of college friend - chance of a lifetime</p>
<p>Flies back to school, collects gear, 2-3 days later is due in GA for three weeks of Airborne school</p>
<p>After Airborne, fly directly to WA for one+ month of training and evaluation at LDAC at Fort Lewis.</p>
<p>Then- hopefully will have a few weeks to catch up on food and sleep before heading to UK in the fall for semester abroad. Lucky!</p>
<p>Oldfort,</p>
<p>I also agree. H.S. Seniors have worked hard in a very grueling process. I had planned a grand European tour for the family for 4 weeks before sonny starts college. Milan, Rome, Sienna (Tuscany, Florence), Italy; Lucerne, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; Brussels, Bruges, Belgium for one month in celebration of DS’s H.S. graduation. Unfortunately, our free airline tickets were booked early and starts on day of DS’s H.S. graduation. He is Class President and will be making a speech, so even if I had thought of skipping this ceremony, it is not feasible under the circumstances. I am not yet able to get the airline to find openings for later dates of departure. 
So alternative plan, travel to Pacific Northwest with a swing up to Vancouver. We love the area and it would be less involved than the Grand European Tour, which I spent a lot of time planning for (with hotels booked in all cities ). The good thing is we will save a bundle to contribute towards sonny’s NYU $35,000 bill (even after a nice scholarship).</p>
<p>But one way or another, I intend to celebrate sonny’s hard work (my and my hubby’s also, I have to admit, through all the infancy, childhood, adolescent years, culminating in the move to this exciting new stage of life for sonny).</p>
<p>I was just reading your post and about to write, “I’m jealous, let me come with you!” and then went on to read the schedule doesn’t work so the backup plan is the PNW! That is too bad.</p>