(from Susan's Tip of the Month in the Monthly e-Mail Update)
Students in the northern hemisphere are on summer break (our southern hemisphere friends can save this tip to apply in December!) and many of them are spending part of their summer at day or overnight camp. Interest in youth and community service extends beyond the classroom. Consider whether you have projects that young people might enjoy doing as a group and recruit through nearby summer camps. Camps are sponsored by a wide variety of organizations, urban and rural, such as: faith communities, Ys and youth clubs, municipal departments of recreation, Girl and Boy Scouts, and private clubs. Contact their various activity directors about your volunteer opportunities.
Every camp program includes arts and crafts of some sort, so suggest how campers might provide decorations or small handmade gifts for something your facility is doing this summer--or in advance for holidays later in the year. Offer your site as a "field trip" for hands-on projects such as food or clothing sorting. Combine activities you and the camp may already be planning, such as campers accompanying your clients on to movie or museum expedition. And, on the assumption that singing and dramatics remain a mainstay of camp life, what about challenging the youngster to present a skit for the enjoyment of your residents or patients. Think fun!