Students are making plans to make the summer of 2016 as productive as possible. One way students are doing this is by planning various ways to serve the community and getting involved in various service activities.

Genevieve Greminger, sophomore, is traveling to the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY for a service opportunity with the Wounded Warrior Project. This is nonprofit organization that provides various forms of assistance and events for wounded military veterans. Here, she will be playing sports with the wounded veterans as well as participating in other Wounded Warrior projects while she is in New York.

“My friend invited me to volunteer here with her, because her dad works with the Wounded Warrior Project. It’ll be great to help out the wounded warriors and also receive about 100 community service hours,” Greminger said.

Other students are finding service opportunities closer to home. This is beneficial because it allows students to spend a more extended time period working with one organization, as well as often allowing a more flexible schedule.

“This summer, I’m getting involved in the Tampa General Hospital teen volunteer program, and I will work in the pediatric center with the patients there. I get to read and play with them and keep them company while their are there and going through treatments. I’m doing this because I want to get involved in the medical field when I am older and wanted some experience in a hospital. Also, it is a great opportunity to help others, and I’m looking forward to working with the kids,” Morgan Krause, junior, said.

Krause will be volunteering at the hospital twice a week over a period of six weeks. Many other students are involved in similar programs in which they will volunteer consistently at a particular location in Tampa, such as working with animals at the Humane Society or working with the elderly at various nursing homes throughout the area.

Other students are using the time that summer break allows to prepare for future service opportunities. Dean Criser, freshman, will be spending time this summer training to be a leader for the organization Teens in Action. After doing this training, he will be a leader for other high school students and participate in community service projects associated with Teens In Action.

Mission trips and other foreign community service opportunities allow students to experience a new place and also meet new people that they will work alongside in addition to the people they will be serving.

“This summer I’m going to be a short-term servant leader for Amigos For Christ which is a non-profit Catholic organization that helps bring clean water systems to rural Nicaraguan communities. I’m most excited to be in the villages, being in community with the people, building schools and digging ditches for water systems,” Anna Renou, junior, said.

Traveling to a foreign country also gives students the unique experience of becoming immersed in a new culture. These trips are offered by a wide variety of organizations and are usually open to all high school students.