<p>I'm looking for something productive for HS freshman D to do this summer. She wanted to do some kind of volunteer work with animals, but all the places around here require that you be 16 for that. Ditto for most jobs. Our HS doesn't offer summer school and the neighboring high schools that do start their summer school before our school lets out. So does the local community college, although that's probably not an option because they don't accept students under 16 without paperwork from the high school stating that the student has exhausted the high school's highest level course in the area of study, which D definitely would not have by the end of freshman year. D considered volunteering at the local hospital, but they require an 8 consecutive week commitment for volunteers, which D can't do because we're taking a long-planned family vacation for two weeks that starts 6 weeks into the summer. D is willing to do twice as many hours as their requirement (or more) in the weeks she is there (and to continue for a few more weeks when we get back), but there's no flexibility there. She can't CIT at any of the local camps, which is what she did last year, because of that same vacation. I'm sure there are loads of possibilities that I'm not thinking of - any ideas?</p>
<p>Sorry, no- we've been there/done that. It is tough. You have to make the choice between family vacation and her summer options. It won't hurt her to do nothing, although she will get on your nerves. Maybe you can get her to do some projects for you (I couldn't get my son to cooperate)- as if she has a part time job working for you. Yardwork, decluttering, cleaning closets and cupboards...</p>
<p>Our next door neighbor's kid got a weekend job as an assistant to the local dog groomer when she was in middle school.</p>
<p>Sometimes the not for profit, church or temple based preschool camps will be more flexible with allowing your daughter two weeks off (with advance notice). My 15 year old son is planning to do that (and we also are taking a two week vacation in the middle of the summer). A bonus of being an unpaid CIT at a not for profit facility is they may be able to get community service hours for it. Another idea is having her volunteer at the local library.</p>
<p>Sleep! Go outside! Your D won't have that many summer left to truly enjoy ...</p>
<p>Our community college offers summer classes for students in high school and even younger -- not their normal college-level offerings, these are programs specifically designed for kids. Some would be suitable for a ninth-grader.</p>
<p>You might also see what short-term specialty camps or programs are available in your area for kids her age. She's a little old for a general camp, but perhaps not for a tennis camp or an art camp or something else focused on a special interest.</p>
<p>In general, in a situation like your daughter's, I think you should be looking for one or more short-term programs -- either something where she's a participant or where she's a volunteer. With your family vacation in the middle of the summer, she's not going to be able to make a full-summer commitment, but having all but two weeks of summer empty is very boring. Having a couple of one- or two-week commitments would be ideal.</p>
<p>Are you sure there are no CIT opportunities? In our county, most of the county-sponsored day camps run for two- or three-week sessions (with some kids, of course, attending for multiple sessions), and they recruit vast numbers of CITs, many of whom only work for one session. We have a community service requirement for graduation, so the CITs are "paid" in community service hours (a nice sort of synergism). My daughter got all her community service hours this way, in two two-week stretches in different summers. Perhaps you could investigate short-term camps in your community that serve younger kids and see whether they need any short-term CITs.</p>
<p>Another possibility: public libraries often need summer volunteers and some also hire kids younger than 16 to shelve books. They might be accommodating to a student who needs to be away for a couple of weeks. But ask now. In some communities, library programs fill up early.</p>
<p>Babysitting! Around here kids that age can stay as busy as they want.</p>
<p>I also want to second the idea of checking out the church/synagogue day camps. Also, think outside the box, around here both the art center and nature center run camps and use students that age as helpers. While it may not pay, it is something to do, and because it is volunteer, they should be flexible about scheduling.</p>
<p>Since your plans are set, forget this summer unless something falls in your lap. Then plan next summer. My D did not start summer work until soph summer. However, we have seen a number of people whose summer vacation plans hurt kids plans for meaningful EC's. Even related to sports, some kids would skip national competitions in summer because of summer vacations. In the end the kids did not get recruited and were hoping to. It boils down to choices which have consequences.</p>
<p>Is there a volunteer program like Habitat for Humanity?</p>
<p>How about looking at programs through your local Y? My older son did one 2 week program with a Y at that age. The Y near us offers things like teen trips for a week or two away, or one can take day trips (meaning a different place every day for a week or two with transportation leaving from the Y) to baseball games, amusement parks, beaches, etc.</p>
<p>hikids, I agree, my only child is senior and I finally get to take vacations. Could never go last week in August -- sports camp of Varsity teams. Had to give her 6 weeks at a certain stretch for work.</p>
<p>Send her to one of those "scared straight" camps..;)</p>
<p>Seriously though, there's a camp for everything, I bet there's even something for kids who like animals.</p>
<p>If she loves animals, maybe she could do some pet sitting over the summer. My kids both did this with our neighbors. Almost everyone had a dog or cat and almost everyone did NOT want to put them in a kennel. For a fraction of the cost, our kids slept at their homes, fed and cared for the creatures (including walking them). When DD was younger, she didn't actually sleep at the homes, but she did make sure the animals were well cared for and played with.</p>
<p>Thumper beat me to it -- pet sitting is big around here. $25/day cash just walking and feeding (or if it's a cat, cleaning the litter box and feeding). Fish, mice, hamsters and the odd iguana -- easy money.</p>
<p>Well...in OUR neighborhood, we don't pay $25 a day...but one could earn about $100 for the week. Better than volunteer work!! We pay $5 a day just for feeding the cat (no overnight stay needed). It's EASY money....heck, <em>I</em> have offered to do it when my kids haven't been able to (of course I won't take money!!!).</p>
<p>It sounds like you've checked out the bigger opportunities, now you just have to hunt around in the unexpected places.</p>
<p>thumper - many multi-pet households in our neighborhood. And a lot of the animals are old. Neighbors just H-A-T-E incarcerating them at the vet's ... at $35 per pet per day! And yeah, neighbors help out for free if there are no youngsters interested.</p>
<p>I too was going to suggest pet sitting. My son does it for our neighbors year round and it's easy enough to just advertise in areas close enough to get to on a bike. I've discouraged our kids having summer jobs until they can drive because I don't want driving them to a job to be MY job! My 15 year old son has ambitions of working at the local movie theater but I too am concerned about our family vacations and two weeks of summer camp. He may end up expanding his pet sitting business instead.</p>
<p>Oh, I just remembered, I have family whose kids started working at the local amusement park at age 14. They couldn't operate the rides, but they could do other things and the hours were very flexible.</p>