The high school years are strategic times for teens to explore budding interests or full-fledged passions. However, over the past couple of years, COVID-19-related uncertainties have loomed large in students’ plans for in-person experiences. Some programs were canceled; others went online; still others suffered from staffing shortages, making the experience not quite as robust as it would have been pre-COVID. Though 2021-22 saw a great deal of “opening up” compared to the previous two school years, some students’ high school resumes still have some gaps.
As college application time approaches, the question becomes, “How can I show strong leadership experience when summer programs were canceled, and so many key organizations were (or still are) closed or extremely limited?”
Over the past decade or so, specialized residential programs, science summer schools at universities, travel-based volunteer projects, and even scientific research have become popular—maybe even idolized—for their role in enhancing college applications. Perhaps it’s time for a reset. Perhaps it’s time to take a new look at leadership, centered on genuine passions and bona fide initiative.
Why not create your own opportunities? In so doing, you can demonstrate leadership and contribute community service—but most importantly, you can use this atypical season to follow your passions. Rather than robotically adding an activity to your resume, do some soul-searching to gauge what you would truly like to do. Then take steps to make it happen, whether after school, on weekends, or during school breaks.
General Tips:
Run your ideas by an adult to make sure you’ve considered safety, health, and liability issues.
Follow city, county, and state regulations on group size, social distancing, mask use, and other guidelines if you’ll be meeting in person with helpers or with those you are serving.
Use your imagination! Show true initiative by launching a small grassroots organization yourself. Then get others involved and spread the word so that your efforts will be magnified.
The following ideas will all work even in the most stringent pandemic-related restrictions—but will take on even more “life” and fun to the extent that you’re able to meet in person.
Practical Ideas:
STEM: Seek out or initiate virtual competitions; tutor a younger student via Zoom; design a virtual science camp by demonstrating simple experiments that kids can follow along with; run kids’ experiments in your backyard (if local regulations allow); create videos explaining more complex concepts for middle schoolers and high schoolers; design an app; produce math problem-solving videos.
Arts: Create online music lessons; sponsor a virtual art gallery or art contest with prizes (for young kids, special ed students, or serious teen artists); launch a comic strip or a dramatic video series; create online dance or exercise classes.
Community service: Express a heart for the homeless by collecting food, water bottles, clothing, and donations to an organization that helps the homeless. Be creative with your fundraisers, too!
Writing: Start a newsletter, online magazine, or blog; collect poetry and short stories from your peers—or your own work—and assemble into a well-designed literary anthology; offer online language arts tutoring for younger kids who are struggling. Start a virtual story time for kids, maybe even dressing up in costume and dramatizing the story you’re reading.
Advocacy: Spend serious time delving into anti-racism books, articles, videos, and other materials; brainstorm fundraising ideas and donate to groups whose work you admire; ponder how you could speak out, write, podcast, or volunteer with an existing organism to combat racism and sexism. Likewise, brainstorm how you might advocate for the physically or mentally challenged.
Children: Think ahead to the next few months. With job losses, economic setbacks, and inflation, more families than ever are struggling economically. Start a drive to collect school supplies: backpacks, pencils, paper, inexpensive calculators, notebooks, and other essentials. Or get a head start on the holiday season by spearheading a drive for toys or food.
Teens: Link up with organizations in your local area that focus specifically on teens. For instance, low-income teens are often left out of donation programs because they are too old for the donated toys. Seek out an organization that collects donations of gift cards, clothing, sports equipment, and other items that teens love—and get your fellow teens involved in helping.
Seniors: Create either a low-tech or a high-tech way of checking on seniors to make sure they are feeling healthy and have food and other necessities; start a letter writing or phone calling campaign to bring a human touch to their day; organize other teens to bring flowers, small gifts, or even a “sneak peek” of a furry pet to their doorsteps.
Above all, be creative, be passionate, and be uniquely you!
Denise has developed a comprehensive guide to help homeschooling families design and implement a rigorous college prep program. Homeschooled & Headed for College discusses academics, electives, testing, and documentation, and she walks families through all aspects of the college selection and application process. Denise’s research and recommendations will save families precious time.
