Alternatives to College/Gap YearThe following are examples of structured opportunities for teenagers who choose not to attend college immediately after high school or to postpone college for a year (often referred to as a “gap year”).Americorps National Civilian Community Corps AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a residential, team-based, national service initiative that engages young adults ages 18 to 24 in full-time service. AmeriCorps*NCCC members perform team-based service projects in communities in all 50 states and U.S. territories. The program benefits include a living expenses stipend, housing, health care and training. For more information call 800-942-2677or visit www.americorps.gov. California Conservation Corps The California Conservation Corps is a workforce development program that offers young men and women age 18 - 25 the chance to serve their state and become employable citizens through life skills training and hard work in environmental conservation, fire protection, and emergency response. The CCC has both residential and non-residential programs and centers all over California. For more information call 800-952-JOBS or visit www.ccc.ca.gov. Center for Cultural Interchange CCI is a non-profit international education exchange organization dedicated to the promotion of cultural understanding, academic development and world peace. CCI organizes academic year and short term homestay, internship, work & travel, language study, environmental and volunteer programs for teens and adults in the United States and in over thirty different countries around the world. For more information call 312-944-2544 or visit www.cci-exchange.com. Center for Interim Programs Center for Interim Programs is a consulting service that helps young people find meaningful gap year placements. Interim has designed creative gap year opportunities for over 5,700 young people and offers a database of over 5,600 program opportunities in organizations worldwide. Opportunities are available in a wide variety of interest areas (arts, animals, outdoors, social service, internships, etc). For more information call (609) 683-4300 or visit www.interimprograms.org. City Year The City Year Youth Service Corps, an Americorps partner program, unites more than 1,750 young adults, ages 17-24, from diverse backgrounds for a demanding year of full-time community service, leadership development, and civic engagement. City Year participants work as tutors and mentors to school children, reclaiming public spaces, and organizing after-school programs in 17 urban areas across the US. Participants must be between 17 and 24 years old, US citizens, and high school graduates, GED recipients or equivalent. For more information visit www.cityyear.org or call 617-927-2500. Dynamy Internship Year Dynamy offers semester- or year-long internship programs for graduating students who opt not to head directly to college after high school. Dynamy offers an opportunity to explore your interests and talents and hone the skills necessary for personal success through focused experiences –full-time internships (over 200 possibilities in a wide range of fields), Outward Bound expeditions, supported apartment life, and one-to-one advising. For more information visit www.dynamy.org or call 508-755-2571. Global Routes Summer and gap-year opportunities available. Three- to five-week community service summer programs are available in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. For students aged 17 and over, Global Routes also offers teaching positions for college-aged students who wish to volunteer in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya and Thailand. For more information visit www.globalroutes.org or call 413-585-8895. National Outdoor Leadership School NOLS offers wilderness expeditions that build leadership and practical skills. Expeditions to mountains, desert, rainforest and arctic habitats in the Americas, Scandinavia, New Zealand and Australia last from 2 weeks to a semester or year. Programs are open to ages 14 to adult; gap-year opportunities available. For more information visit www.nols.edu or call 1-800-710-NOLS. Outward Bound Wilderness More than 500 adventure-education courses inspire personal growth and character development in people of all ages. Choose from mountaineering expeditions in the Rocky Mountains, sailing in the Florida Keys and more. Scholarships are available, academic credit can be earned. Visit www.outwardboundwilderness.org for more information. Raleigh International Raleigh International is a UK-based youth development organization that inspires people from all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their full potential by working together on challenging environmental and community projects around the world. For volunteers aged 17 – 24. Five- and ten-week programs each have three components: environment, community, and adventure. For more information visit www.raleighinternational.org or email info@raleigh.org.uk. Treasure Island Job Corps Center Offers qualifying young adults vocational and academic training in a supportive and safe environment in a full-time, year-round program that provides a wide array of skills training, education and support services (housing, meals, medical care, counseling) completely free of charge. Participants must be 16 to 24 years old, have limited financial resources and pledge to stay drug-free during the program. For more information call 1-800-733-JOBS or visit http://treasureisland.jobcorps.gov. Volunteer OpportunitiesMany more volunteer opportunities are available through the Volunteer Center of the East Bay at https://volunteer.truist.com/vccc/volunteer/search.aspx. Click on “search” at the top for a full search function, and scroll down to select opportunities available to your age group (age 13–17 or 18–25). Opportunities to help your community are available in almost every field of interest imaginable. More volunteer opportunities can be found through the following resources:
Playland Not-At-The-Beach is looking for volunteers to run carnival games, coach kids, and award prizes. Positions are available weekends 10:00 - 5:00 and some evenings and holidays. Good candidates will have outgoing and positive personalities, must love kids, and be able to learn how to operate games and rules for awarding prizes. Contact volunteer coordinator Kendra at 510-232-4246 x30 or kendra@playland-not-at-the-beach.org. Albany Library Homework Center Volunteer tutors are needed for the Albany Library Homework Center on Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. The Homework Center offers drop-in homework help for students in grades 2 through 6. If you are reliable and like to teach, this might be the volunteer job for you! For more information or to apply, email vjaquette@aclibrary.org or stop by the information desk at the Albany Library at 1247 Marin Avenue. University Village The UVA is seeking high school juniors/seniors to volunteer for the Afterschool Homework Club and Reading Incentives Program. The program serves children ages 8-13 of parents who attend U.C. Berkeley, and will run Mondays-Thursdays (excluding school holidays) from 2:30-5:30 p.m. No previous experience is required. If you are 17 years old or under, we will need consent form filled out by your parent(s). If you are over 18, we will run a required background check. For more information or to volunteer contact Koko Mulder at 526-8505 X 251 or kmulder@berkeley.edu Tutor Albany Students The Counseling Office maintains a list of peer tutors who volunteer to help their fellow students on schoolwork and test preparation in all subjects. Peer tutors must be approved by their teacher(s) in the subject(s) they wish to tutor. Tutors and tutees will arrange the time and place they meet for tutoring sessions. See Ms. Fan for an application or more details. City of Albany The City of Albany Volunteer Corps matches qualified volunteers with various departments seeking assistance for special projects, events and day-to-day tasks. Volunteers are needed for special events like Solano Stroll and Fourth of July Celebration as well as ongoing support Applications are available at www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=214. Oakland Zoo "Habitat restoration" may be a fancy way of saying "weeding," but it's something that must be done to keep the Zoo and park looking fabulous. Spend a day with friends and co-workers helping to restore habitats or assisting with other landscape management projects to make the animals' lives more comfortable. For ages 12 and up. To volunteer call (510) 632-9525 x141 or email docents@oaklandzoo.org. More volunteer opportunities are available for students aged 18 and up. Contests & ScholarshipsScholarships for graduating seniors can be found here.Students Rising Above provides support and awards college scholarships to low-income Juniors who have overcome obstacles not of their own making and who are committed to attending a 4-year college. Information and application at http://www.studentsrisingabove.org/. Application deadline is March 4, 2012. QuestBridge College Prep Scholarship provides more than 1,500 awards that give outstanding low-income high school juniors the knowledge they need to compete for admission to leading colleges. The awards include: full scholarships to summer programs at leading colleges and universities; individualized college admissions counseling; all-expense-paid visits to college campuses and much more. High school juniors with a strong academic record and a demonstrated financial need are encouraged to apply. Please visit http://questbridge.org/for-students/cps-college-prep-scholarship for more information. Applications are available mid-February and are due March 27, 2012. The Matters of Life & Death Scholarship Writing Contest is awarding up to $1000 in scholarship to 11th and 12th-grade students who plan to attend college. This writing contest is designed to help students develop awareness of issues surrounding end-of-life decision-making. To find out the writing prompt for this year and to submit your entry, please visit http://www.compassionandchoicesnca.org/essay.php. All entries are due April 16, 2012. Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship awards 10 student-athletes from Northern California with a $2,000 scholarship. Any student-athlete who is currently a Junior with a grade point average of 2.5 or above are eligible to apply. Information and application can be found at http://www.positivecoach.org/our-programs/triple-impact-competitor-scholarships/competitor-application/. Application deadline is April 30, 2012. Educational and Summer ActivitiesStanford Medical Youth Science ProgramThe SMYSP Summer Residential Program (SRP) is an annual five-week science- and medicine-based enrichment program that takes place from mid-June to late July, and is held on the campus of Stanford University. It is open to low-income and ethnically diverse high school sophomores and juniors who live in northern and central California. The program bolsters student’s science skills while introducing them to a host of health-related careers. There is no cost to participants. Students live in a residence house on the Stanford campus the entire time, and family members are invited to visit each Sunday. To apply, please visit http://smysp.stanford.edu/. Deadline is February 15, 2012. The Arthritis Foundation Summer Science Internship Program is now accepting applications for its 2012 Summer Science Internship Program. This internship places advanced high school and college students in leading Rheumatology/Immunology laboratories at Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco. Applicants must be 17 by June 1, 2012. The internship will run from June 11 to August 3, 2012, for approximately 40 hours per week. Interns will be paid a stipend of $1,500. Applications are due February 24, 2012. Visit www.SummerScienceInternship.kintera.org for an application. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) SIMR is an eight-week program in which high school students from diverse backgrounds are invited to perform basic research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and researchers on a medically-oriented project. The goals of the program include increasing interest in biological sciences and medicine in high school students, helping students to understand how scientific research is performed, and increasing diversity of students and researchers in the sciences. Current juniors and seniors at the time of application are eligible. Students must also be 16 years old by the start of the program on June 11, 2012. Apply online at http://simr.stanford.edu/. The application deadline is Feb. 24, 2012. Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP) Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. Internships cover a minimum of eight weeks, with students (ages 16 and up) generally arriving at the NIH in May or June. The NIH Institutes and the Office of Intramural Training & Education sponsor a wide range of summer activities including lectures featuring distinguished NIH investigators, career/professional development workshops, and Summer Poster Day. For more information, visit https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip. Applications are due March 1, 2012. Summer High-School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP) The Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) Graduate Group at the University of California, Berkeley will be conducting their annual high school apprenticeship program this summer from June 18th to July 13th. Current Juniors, meeting the program's math and science course requirements, are eligible to apply. In SHARP, high school students have the opportunity to do hands-on scientific investigations in a dynamic research environment at UC Berkeley. The students will work with graduate student researchers in NSE faculty laboratories, gaining first-hand experience in how science and engineering research is conducted. For more information, please visit http://nano.berkeley.edu/educational/sharp.html. Applications are due March 2, 2012. 2012 Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Mentoring Program Sponsored by the San Francisco Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, the Leaders of Tomorrow Mentoring Program is designed to develop the leadership, academic and personal skills of aspiring high school students. In this year’s program, Mentors from the business community will prepare mentees for networking and interviewing professionals in their area of interest, college tours, community service, and the national LOT Case Competition. The program runs every other Saturday from March 10 to August 25, 2012. Applications are due March 2, 2012 and can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/lotmenteeapp. Santa Clara University Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) In its 23rd year, the SES program is a five-day experience in early August offering specially designed workshops taught by engineering faculty. Workshops are presented as a mix of lecture and interactive laboratory work, spanning several fields of engineering. The SES program also provides students with a taste of university life, as they stay in university residence halls, eat meals on campus and neighboring dining facilities, and take part in afternoon recreational activities and evening projects. To apply for the program, students must complete an online application and submit a recommendation form by March 16, 2012. The application and program details can be found at: http://scu.edu/engineering/undergraduate/ses.cfm. Bay Area Multi-cultural Media Academy (BAMMA) BAMMA is a two-week residential program run by the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism to develop journalism skills and careers for high school students. Program participants will meet at San Francisco State University and get a crash course in journalism and production. Alumni have gone on to work at the Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, New America Media, the Huffington Post, the Denver Post and other national newspapers and magazines and broadcast outlets. For more information, visit http://bamma.ciij.org/. Applications are due April 30, 2012. Berkeley Foundation for Opportunities in Information Technology (BFOIT) BFOIT, a project of the International Computer Science Institute, supports historically underrepresented ethnic minorities and women in their desire to become leaders in the fields of computer science, engineering and information technology. Each academic year, middle and high schools students participate in the regional Information Technology Leadership Program, which include monthly activities and a Summer Technology Training Institute. This year, the Berkeley Summer Institute for Future Computer Scientists will occur from July 30th to August 10th, 2012. Interested students should visit http://www.bfoit.org for more information. Applications are at http://www.bfoit.org/ITLP_Application_2012.pdf Smith Pre-College Programs for High School Girls Residential programs include the Summer Science and Engineering Program, Field Studies for Sustainable Futures, Hidden Lives: Discovering Women's History, and the Young Women's Writing Workshop. For more information and to apply visit www.smith.edu/summer/programs.php. ASA Summerfuel Pre-college and study abroad opportunities at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UMass Amherst, Columbia and Tufts Universities and in Spain, France, Italy and Oxford. For more information visit www.summerfuel.com. Academy of Art University Pre-College Saturday Art Experience Earn college credit while exploring art and design in a professional and collaborative community. Courses are available in a wide variety of art and design fields including animation, comic book illustration, fashion design, motion pictures, photography and more. Classes start October 8. For more information or to register visit www.academyart.edu or call 800-544-2787. Travel and AdventureYosemite InstituteSummer Field Research Expeditions and Wilderness Backpacking Programs offer students the opportunity to experience the backcountry of Yosemite while learning valuable skills. The Field Research Expedition can earn students college credit while they learn field biology, ecology, geography and geology in collaboration with National Park scientists. The Wilderness Backpacking Program includes elements to meet each student’s interests, including backpacking, whitewater rafting and rock climbing. For more information visit www.naturebridge.org/yosemite or call 209-379-9511. Sail Caribbean Seven programs focusing on sailing, scuba, water sports, leadership, marine biology, cultural immersion and service learning. For information go to www.sailcaribbean.com or call 800-321-0994. AFS Intercultural Program Study abroad this summer. AFS offers a wide range of summer programs – year and semester programs, language study, community service and homestay options are available. Pick from over 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. Financial aid and scholarships are available. For a catalog or information call 800-AFS-INFO or visit www.afs.org. ASSE International Student Exchange Programs ASSE provides Academic Year Homestay Programs, Summer Homestay, Adventure, and Language Programs, and Teen Twin Program in many countries including Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Switzerland China, France, Italy and Australia (plus many more!). For more information, visit www.asse.com call 800-333-3802. Aspect Foundation Study abroad for a year, a semester, or short term individually or in a group. Explore exciting new places – choose from 20 countries including Japan, Costa Rica, Ghana, Ireland and Russia. For more information call 800-637-5859 or visit www.aspectfoundation.org. American Leadership Team up with students from all over the USA to travel and work abroad. This fun, challenging summer experience abroad provides an intellectual workout, teaches important life skills, develops maturity and prepares you for college.Programs in Australia, Europe, China and Peru. For more information visit www.americanleadership.com or call 800.no skype addon989.0888. Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program Scholarship program for cultural exchange between the US and Germany, funded by the German Bundestag and the US Department of State. Selected students will represent the US as they study for a year in Germany. Visit www.USAGermanyScholarship.org for more information. Global Routes (also listed under Alternatives to College) Summer and gap-year opportunities available. Three- to five-week community service summer programs are available in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. For students aged 17 and over, Global Routes also offers teaching positions for college-aged students who wish to volunteer in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya and Thailand. For more information visit www.globalroutes.org or call 413-585-8895. National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) NOLS is a non-profit wilderness skills school that has been in operation for over forty years. Students go on extended wilderness expeditions to learn technical skills, leadership skills and environmental ethics while living in the world's most spectacular wilderness classrooms. Courses range from fourteen days to one hundred sixty five days. College credit is available through the University of Utah. For more information about NOLS visit www.nols.edu or call 800-710-NOLS. Outward Bound Wilderness (also listed under Alternatives to College) More than 500 adventure-education courses inspire personal growth and character development in people of all ages. Choose from mountaineering expeditions in the Rocky Mountains, sailing in the Florida Keys and more. Scholarships are available. Visit www.outwardboundwilderness.org for more information. Raleigh International (also listed under Alternatives to College) Raleigh International is a UK-based youth development organization that inspires people from all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their full potential by working together on challenging environmental and community projects around the world. For volunteers aged 17 – 24. For more information visit www.raleighinternational.org or email info@raleigh.org.uk. SCA Conservation Crews Must be ages 15-19. SCA Conservation Crews serve each summer in picturesque parks, forests and other sites throughout the nation under supervision of trained, experienced crew leaders. For more information visit www.theSCA.org or contact us at crews@theSCA.org or call 603-543-1700. International Seminar Series Service Learning in Paris or Barcelona This program offers a mixture of language and academic classes, together with work at social service agencies. Applications available by calling 802-362-5855 or visit www.study-serve.org. Some financial aid is available. Universidad Internacional The Center for Linguistic & Multicultural Studies in Cuernavaca, Mexico offers programs that run for a variety of timeframes (year, semester, or summer) which allows any student to fit a study abroad experience into his or her academic schedule. These programs are for students who want to have the experience of living and studying in Mexico while taking courses in English. For more information, go to www.spanishschool.uninter.edu.mx or call 800-932-2068. YFU USA - Youth For Understanding American Overseas programs offer US high school students and recent graduates the opportunity to experience the world firsthand. Choose from over 100 programs in more than 30 countries to learn a new language and global perspective while on an academic year, academic semester, or summer program. For more info, visit www.yfu-usa.org or call 1-800-TEENAGE. See above for scholarship opportunities. Jobs and InternshipsFor more after school job postings, check the Counseling Office bulletin board.Metropolitan Transportation Commission The Metropolitan Transportation Commission program introduces Bay Area high school students (in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade) to career opportunities in the field of transportation. Each year, 35 summer internships are available. Students are paid ($10.25/hour) and may work full-time or part-time, for up to 10 weeks, between the months of June and August. For a listing of available opportunities, please visit www.mtc.ca.gov/jobs/high_school/. Applications are due March 8, 2012. Contemporary Jewish Museum Teen Art Connect (TAC) is a career exploration program that brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds for a year-long paid internship at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. High school students entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in fall 2012 are qualified to apply. Please visit http://www.thecjm.org/teens for a detailed job description and to complete an application. Applications are due March 16, 2012. Canyon Country Youth Corps The goal of Canyon Country Youth Corps (located in Monticello, Utah) is to improve work readiness, employment prospects, and economic independence for youth, while also teaching them healthy lifestyles and respect for natural resources and the outdoors. Crewmembers (ages 16-25) are part of a functioning work crew that participates in service-work (land management), group-living and educational experiences. Projects consist of trail and fence construction and maintenance, wildlife habitat improvements, wetland and riparian rehabilitation, and fire fuels reduction. The work is very physically demanding but rewarding. Summer crews last 4 weeks, and crewmembers are paid a set stipend per week. For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.fourcornersschool.org/ccyc-home The Exploratorium High School Explainer Program As one of the Mediated Experience departments within the Exploratorium, the High School Explainer Program offers a temporary work-based educational enrichment program for high school age students. Explainers are paid and trained to work with visitors and hands-on exhibits in a facilitator type program while learning in a science museum setting. Eligible candidates are high school students between the ages of 15 and 20 who have basic communication skills, are curious, mature, open minded, and eager to learn more about science, art, and perception. For complete job details, visit http://www.exploratorium.edu/programs/explainer/job_description.pdf. To find out more about the program and application requirements, please visit http://www.exploratorium.edu/programs/explainer/ Galaxy Explorers Program The Galaxy Explorers is a year-round program for high school students who represent the Chabot Space Science Center on-site and throughout the greater Oakland area. Galaxy Explorers perform live public science demonstrations, explain interactive exhibits, deliver mini science workshops, outreach to community centers and work in summer camps. The Galaxy Explorers’ program provides teens with work experience, community service/volunteer opportunities and paid internships. Participants engage in fun, hands-on scientific activities and develop real-world skills. Applicants must be between 14 and 17 years old, have an interest in science, math or technology, maintain a 2.0 GPA and participate at least 4 hours per month. Applications are accepted year around, but enrollment only occurs four times a year. Applications are online at www.galaxyexplorers.org. Youth Radio Youth Radio's mission is to promote young people's intellectual, creative and professional growth through training and access to media and to produce the highest quality original media for local and national outlets. Youth Radio offers media training programs for Bay Area youth aged 14-18. Their introductory program includes an 11-week course featuring hands-on experience in radio, web, music and video production. For more information and to apply for this opportunity, please visit http://www.youthradio.org/content/take-classes. Coaching Opportunities with MAKE ME A PRO SPORTS Make Me a Pro Sports is currently seeking coaches for Soccer, Flag Football, Baseball, Basketball and Cheerleading for all Bay Area cities for current and upcoming classes and summer camps. The pay scale is $9.00 - $15.00 per hour and training will be provided. Email mmaps2001@yahoo.com and indicate if you have any previous coaching experience (if so, please indicate your prior experience and provide the name of a reference and a contact phone number of your previous employer) and the days of the week and hours you are available to coach. Website: www.mmapsports.com. |