What kinds of extra activities for high schoolers?

[poohma]

I have a 15 year-old boy, going into 10th grade in the fall. I want to start stimulating his interests in career options and just exposing him to a lot of good things besides the routine academic subjects. Any suggestions?

 

Ex. internships, college classes, events, short-term missions recommendations?

 

Thanks!

[Gwen in VA]

I'd start by spending some time exploring possible areas of interest with your son.

 

*What extracurriculars does he currently do?

*What kinds of personal interests does he have -- computer programming, backpacking, gourmet cooking, taking apart automobiles, etc.

*What career fields does he find interesting?

*Who are his heroes and why? (Are they explorers, mathematicians, writers, missionaries, etc.)

*Is there something he would love to do -- hike the Appalachian Trail, shadow a plumber and maybe gradually learn some skills, participate in a 100-mile bike-a-thon to benefit a local cancer fund, start a lawn-mowing business, take a CAD class, or study Greek.

 

His activities should reflect his personal interests and goals.

 

Then talk to homeschool families in your area about local options.

 

Many activities depend on what is available in your area. For example, we live in an area with a lot of history museums, so volunteering at a history museum is a popular activity among local homeschoolers! :) All of my kids have played with fife and drum corps, but there are entire states that don't have one fife and drum corps. There are two robotics teams that are open to homeschoolers in my area.

 

Local homeschoolers are your best source of information about local possibilities.

 

Additionally, some activities are more personal and don't depend on where you live -- for example, my son is building a kayak in our garage. (Well, I guess you can tell we don't live in a desert!) Encourage those interests! And they are a great source of Christmas and birthday present ideas!

 

And definitely take advantage of what is available -- from local concerts and museums to TeenPact to local colleges that are open to having homeschoolers take classes there.

[laughing lioness]

TeenPact: www.teenpact.com Once you do the state class they have neat alumni events, too.

My oldest dd was able to go on a couple of inexpensive mission trips- one through a local seminary. Check out LifeLight missions, too.

Our area homeschoolers host a yearly Festival of One Act Plays that we've participated in for the last 5 years. We also run an (almost) yearly drama camp.

Have you checked out the National History Day, Poetry Outloud, Bible Bee and other competitions?

[LibraryLover]

What are his interests?

[TravelingChris]

My oldest had Boy Scouts, summer programs, theater, art, choir, and youth group. He did a lot of community service with the boy scouts and more with the youth group.

 

I figure all my kids should do community service. This is a requirement I have for graduation.

 

My second has done choirs, debate, library volunteer, Honor society (lots of volunteer work), youth group (more volunteer work), soccer, and dive, and summer programs.

 

My third, who is starting high school in June, will start off doing swim and dive team and she will also volunteer this summer but she hasn't chosen where yet except for VBS group leader. I am going to look for engineering competitions for her for next year like maybe joining a robotics group.

[Brindee]

I agree with what the other ladies have posted. I have my kids volunteer to help with something that isn't their first interest, and isn't "fun" to do, but is a great need.

 

My boys both worked with a church group to help a lady from the church. She and her husband were hoarders. Their house had walkways between 5 foot high stacks of things. Some rooms couldn't even be entered. Outside they had filled every nook and cranny. There were winding walkways through the things out there as well--cars, stacks of wood/lumber, much of which was rotting, even 2 vehicles back behind a bunch of other stuff, and just scads of misc. things filling up their approx 2 acre grounds. They'd been cited, and were told they needed to clean it up. That was something, really something! It was much needed, and very,very hard work. And sometimes icky! But it taught them to always work hard at what you're given to do. If you can't do well in the little things, the things you don't care for but need to be done, then you won't do as well at the big things!

 

DS16 and dd helped me with watching/homeschooling a 5yo girl last year. She came knowing how to sing the aplphabet song, but had no clue what letters and numbers were! When she left she was reading quite well!, at close to a 2nd grade level! We kept her all day, so it was also day care. They volunteered their time, I did not require it, but it certainly did help!

 

DD is volunteering at the Humane Society. She cleans up poop, pee and throwup, sometimes blood. She's gotten used to it. She makes a point to learn the terminology they use there, remember peoples names and animal names, and loves helping people who come in looking for a dog or cat. She helps take the pictures of the animals to put on the webiste, and helps write up descriptions. One morning a week she's the assistant in the cat room. She also is working on another huge project with the local Mental Health. Amazing what she's learning!

 

I guess what I'm saying is that in getting a job, or volunteering, it's FUN if it's what they want to do! Plus it gains them experience in their interest area, and if it's a job they get paid. However, those things sometimes don't pan out. So, if they volunteer or find a job at a place they don't neccessarily love or like that much, I honestly feel they grow more! They see how hard people work in those areas, and how important those jobs can be when they're done and done well. Having a positive attitude and a good work ethic in those situations is where the learning and maturing take place! They may think they're wasting their time! BUT, as I said, if they can work hard and do a good job in those areas, they will SHINE in areas they're interested in!

[Sunshine State Sue]

I keep a list of electives/extracurricular/volunteer ideas. I posted it here.

[FloridaLisa]

What a great post Gwen!

 

Sue has a great list posted. That should be a start for you.

 

As for short-term mission trips:

*check with your church

*check with adults you know that are involved in missions

*look into local mission opportunities (homeless shelters, backyard Bible clubs, etc)

*Teen Missions

*check with your denominational mission teams

*Young Life

 

HTH,

Lisa

[RENEEinVA]

Ditto what Gwen said.

 

My kids activities center around their interests and then we just add on from there. My older dd is a swimmer so she does a lot of swimming-related things: year-round swim team, summer team, and volunteer coaching for fun (but it meets the volunteer requirement). She also loves music, so in addition to her weekly music lesson she participates in a youth orchestra in our area. Lastly, she gets involved in sports-related charity events like the annual polar plunge (which I personally think is crazy) or mini-triathlon to benefit different organizations in town.

[Lori D.]

We have a bit of a "scattergun" approach, trying to "hit" extracurricular activities in a variety of ways:

 

- sports/physical activity (high school tennis team)

- homeschool group activity (public speaking class; student council member; student council officer position)

- outside organization (Youth & Government; Junior State of America)

- community service (variety of things: a lot of yard work; collecting canned goods for food bank; making a video; helping a musician friend record a song; etc.)

- church (teach Sunday school; Youth Group night; teen small group leader)

- summer camp (Worldview Academy)

 

 

BEST of luck as you venture into the wide world of extracurriculars! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[LBS]

hits every op: mini-immersions into almost 150 different subjects and interests, multi-age instruction, adventure, high adventure, travel, best priced/safest summer camps in existence.....I just believe in Scouting very deeply. All branches, Cubs, Scouts, Varsity, Venture Crew and more. Its about building character, not learning how to camp. Research carefully about the troop or crew you join....and get trained as an adult volunteer leader and go along with your son, if you desire to be more a part of it....its pretty cool to turn off the parent and be an adult leader...when I say to my boys "don't ask me, ask your senior patrol leader" I get to have a tiny wicked, guilt-free chuckle to myself.

 

Its all good.

LBS