Summer Camp Alternatives for High School Students

High school students need to stay busy over the summer. Sure, some enjoy their valuable time off and spend it at the pool or by the lake, hanging out with friends. This leisure time is crucial, as it helps them unwind from a long and tough school year. Others attend a summer camp, either working as a counselor or, depending on their future career field, as an attendee. However, those who really want to succeed and get into a good college need to find a summer camp alternative. One that looks good on a resume. Here are a few options.

Attending a Pre-College Summer Program

A pre-college summer program is a great summer camp alternative for high school students. Not only do they provide students with some experience in a career field that they may be interested in, but it also gives them a taste of college life. At Dean College, pre-college summer program attendees spend two weeks living on campus, eating in the cafeteria, and bonding with their fellow students, while also learning more about the fields of sports broadcasting, sports management, or forensic science. These programs also help students earn college credits and give them a leg up in the field of their choice.

Getting an Internship

There are a number of both paid and unpaid internships out there. Depending on what your high school student wants to do with their life, they may enjoy spending a summer in the virtual trenches, working as an intern. Look into local companies that need help in certain departments, like marketing, public relations, or social media, and see if they hire interns. These workers can get plenty of important experience, make necessary connections, and even have some fun working as a summer intern.

Volunteering at a Museum or Historical Location

Organizations both small and large need volunteers to do things like process collections, put together programs, improve their websites, give tours, set up displays and even work behind the scenes doing valuable research. These volunteers do a lot to help these organizations run. If your high school student is interested in local history or wants to get to know people in the community, then this is a great summer camp alternative. The hours are often flexible, and they may get some high school credits for doing the work. Plus, it looks good on a resume and can be an entry point into the field.

Working a Part-Time Job

Of course, there’s the traditional summer camp alternative that may students end up doing – getting a job. Numerous companies, such as grocery stores, big-box stores, and even small local businesses end up hiring seasonal summer employees. These employees work part-time doing certain tasks, and end up making money that they can save for college, a vehicle, or even some of those fun leisure experience pursuits that were mentioned up above. There’s nothing like a job to help keep high schoolers busy, while at the same time, teaching them the value of work and how important it is to save the money that they earn.

Learn more about our available pre-college summer programs!