Looking for summer plans for your teen? Consider the many benefits of volunteerism—preteens and teens are an untapped resource. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that they groan when they do chores at home. Kids are more likely to agree to help a cause than to clean their rooms! Use these suggestions to begin a tradition of volunteerism with your teenager:

• Do your homework first. Call the local volunteer center, place of worship, nursing home, etc. and gather ideas about what your teen would be permitted to do. Look for events that involve fundraising in the form of relays or walk-a-thons. Novelty is key in this experience for the teens. Explain to the volunteer coordinators that this will be a one-time commitment to help the teens sample different volunteer activities.
• Gather some friends. Pitch the idea with your teen and encourage him or her to invite friends to come along. Make sure you have information about the work sites to give to the parents of each volunteer. Encourage the kids to name their volunteering team—a team color or specialized T-shirt helps build group unity and visibility for you while you supervise their work.
• Determine frequency. Initially, you might want to schedule volunteering once every two weeks. Develop a communication network that includes the parents of your volunteers and have all the teens meet at the work site.
• Set some ground rules before they work. Keep your list simple and positive. Safety first and foremost. Remind them that they are representing their school, their families, and all teens. The team has an opportunity to influence the way in which people experience teenagers. This is a big selling point—just ask the kids about the age discrimination they have already encountered.
• Be prepared to work too! This is not a summer activity where you drop off and drive away. To maximize the benefits, stay to process the activity with the kids. In the teens’ presence, speak to the person in charge about the people the organization serves and how volunteers help them. While the kids are working, look for opportunities to ask about how it is going and what they like and dislike. Don’t lecture or sermonize, let the reward of work speak for itself.
• Consider logging their hours. Community service speaks well of your teen and their friends. Keep track of individual hours and the hours of the group. If it looks like the group is really enjoying this summer activity, ask if they want to extend it into the school year. Change the frequency to once a month so it isn’t hard to fit into their schedules. Presidential service awards are an added bonus—check out presidentialserviceawards.gov for information on this program.
• Enjoy the ride. You will find that once you get started building a volunteer service team, it is easy to maintain and the benefits are ongoing. Developing a habit of service is a great way to influence the character of your kids. Best of luck in helping your teen to help others!

Dr. Lisa Marotta is a licensed Clinical/School Psychologist in private practice within the Offices of Paul Tobin and Ann Benjamin. She works primarily with young children and their families, and facilitates groups for building social skills and preparing for middle school. Dr. Marotta is proud to be the parent coordinator of the MISSION: POSSIBLE volunteer service team in Edmond. The team recently celebrated one year of service together and earned a bronze Presidential Service award for 2004.