Summer opportunities for Vermont high school and middle school students
Boys and Girls Clubs
Barre Boys and Girls Club
- 21 Metro Way
- 802-229-9151
Bellows Falls Boys & Girls Club
- 12 Church Street
- 802-460-4400
Brandon Boys & Girls Club
- 25 Rossiter Street
- 802-747-4944
Brattleboro Boys & Girls Club
- 17 Flat Street
- 802-254-5990 ext. 102
Burlington Boys and Girls Club
- 62 Oak Street
- 802-864-5263
Montpelier/Washington County Youth Service Bureau Boys & Girls Club
- 38 Elm Street, Montpelier
- 802-281-9151
Northfield Boys & Girls Club
- 168 North Main Street
- 802 485-5494
Randolph Boys & Girls Club
- 34 Pleasant Street
- 802-728-3010
Rutland County Boys & Girls Club
- 71 Merchants Row
- 802-747-4944
Vergennes Boys & Girls Club
- 53/55 School Street
- 802-877-6344
Teen Centers
Note: Don’t be discouraged if you get an answering machine when you call. Many centers do not have a full-time receptionist. Leave a message, and a staff person will return your call.
Bakersfield
- Bakersfield Teen Center
- 40 East Bakersfield Road
- 802-827-4495
Bellows Falls
- Meeting Waters YMCA
- 66 Atkinson Street
- 802-463-4769
Bennington
- Bennington Youth Center
- 440 Main Street
- 802-442-1199
Burlington
- Big Heavy World
- 215 College Street, Suite 301
- 802-865-1140
- King Street Youth Center
- 87 King Street
- 802-862-6736
- New North End Youth Center
- 130 Gosse Street
- 802-860-4986
- Spectrum One Stop
- 177 Pearl Street
- 802-862-5396
Bristol
- The Hub
- 110 Airport Drive
- 802-453-3678
Essex Junction
- Essex Teen Center
- 2 Lincoln Street
- 802-878-6981
Fairfield
- Fairfield Community Center
- School Street, East Fairfield
- 802-827-3130
Ludlow
- Ludlow Teen Center
- 106 Main Street
- 802-228-2400
Middlebury
- Addison Central Teens
- 94 Main Street
- 802-388-3910
Milton
- Milton Family Community Center
- 23 Villemarie Lane
- 802-893-1457
Montpelier
- Basement Teen Center
- 39 Main Street (City Hall Basement)
- 802-223-3877
Newport
- NEKCA Teen Drop-In Center
- 272 Main Street
- 802-334-7316
Richford
- Richford Teen Center
- 31 Intervale Avenue
- 802-848-7008
Richmond
- Richmond Area Teen Center
- 20 Bridge Street
- For info, call town clerk at 802-434-2221.
Rochester
- Center for Valley Youth
- 860 Oak Ledge Road
- 802-767-3708
St. Albans
- St. Albans Teen Center
- 39 Barlow Street
- 802-782-1811
St. Johnsbury
- The Living Room/NEKYS
- 24 Bagley Street
- 802-748-8732
Swanton
- Swanton Teen Center
- Merchants Row
- 802-868-9880
Winooski
- Underground Teen Center
- 27 West Allen Street
- 802-655-6410
Free programs on Vermont college campuses
Introduction to College Studies at Community College of Vermont academic centers
This free, 13-week, pass/fail class will help you develop strategies for success well beyond graduation, whether you’re going on to an apprenticeship or a four-year degree program after high school.
- Set goals for college, work, and life.
- Build communication skills.
- Identify your best learning style and study habits that work for you.
- Learn about money management and ways to pay for college.
- Practice stress management techniques.
- Meet with a CCV academic advisor who’ll help you decide on appropriate next steps after graduation.
And when you pass, you’ll earn a voucher worth hundreds of dollars in tuition at one of 12 participating Vermont colleges. You may even earn a credit toward your high school diploma (ask your school counselor about this one!).
Get statewide class schedules.
Vermont dual enrollment programs
If you’ve already passed an Intro to College Studies class (see above), you can use your free voucher to take a college course through the Vermont Dual Enrollment Program, which allows high school students to earn college credit while still in high school. Check out course schedules at all of the Vermont state colleges, Community College of Vermont, and Vermont Technical College.
Imagine College program at Champlain College in Burlington
This six-day summer immersion program is designed to help students make college a part of their reality and give them tools to navigate the college process. While students live on campus, they receive support to develop and strengthen their vision for attending college and help in navigating the often complicated college-entry process.
The program is open to low-income students, students who are immigrants, and students who are among the first in their families to attend college.
Application deadline: March 20, 2013
For information and application, visit the program Web site, e-mail diversity@champlain.edu, or call 802-860-2784.
College Quest to Career Program at College of St. Joseph in Rutland
This program for Vermont high school students in 11th grade provides college preparation and academic enrichment to enhance students’ competiveness for college. Students are also introduced to health care professions in the fields of behavioral health, pharmacy, and primary care.
Students will stay in the residence halls of the College of St. Joseph in Rutland. All meals and snacks during the program will be provided. Program activities will take place at the college and in the Rutland community. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit other Vermont colleges during the course of the program.
Learn more and print out an application.
National Summer Transportation Institute
July 28–August 10 at University of Vermont; for high school students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year. Free residential camp combines academic work, an introduction to the transportation system, "green" alternatives, field trips, career options, and more. For information, e-mail Christopher Willey or call 802-656-0629.
Apply online
4-H Teen Congress
June 19–21 at University of Vermont; for youth ages 13–18. Participants live in a college dorm and experience college life, meet new friends, and participate in a wide variety of hands-on workshops and other fun activities.
Learn more and apply online (click on "Programs" at bottom of screen).
Natural Resources Management Academy
July 19–21 at the Green Mountain Conservation Camp, Buck Lake in Woodbury. Youths who are entering ninth grade or older and are passionate about the environment explore Vermont's natural resources in depth. Experts from around Vermont lead workshops and skill-building activities.
Learn more and apply online (click on "Programs" at bottom of screen)
Take your first college class for free this summer! Talk to your school counselor about a course at:
- University of Vermont
- Castleton State College
- Johnson State College
- Lyndon State College
- Vermont Technical College
And don’t forget to look at the list of tuition-based programs below. Many provide financial aid, including scholarships!
Volunteer Opportunities
- Vermont organizations that need volunteers — http://vtcncs.vermont.gov/volunteer_now.
- Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation — Volunteer opportunities at Vermont’s state parks. 802-241-3655 or www.vtfpr.org/parks/htm/volunteering.htm.
- Green Mountain Club — Volunteer opportunities for all ages throughout the state. 802-244-7037 (ext. 24) or www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=9.
- Partners in Adventure — Volunteers needed to assist with activities at a summer camp that brings together young people who have disabilities with their non-disabled peers. Burlington, South Burlington, and Essex Junction, VT. 802-425-2638 or www.partnersinadventure.org.
- Green Mountain Crop Mob — Become a mobster! Help Green Mountain farmers with everything from harvesting to greenhouse construction. 802-656-3131 or http://greenmountaincropmob.weebly.com/.
- Volunteers for Peace — International volunteer work camps in the United States and abroad. 802-540-3060 or www.vfp.org.
Tuition-Based Programs in Vermont
- Brattleboro Music Center — Music camps for students of all ages. Brattleboro. 802-257-4523 or www.bmcvt.org/summer. Financial aid is available.
- Center for Media & Democracy — One-week camp on video production for students ages 9–12. Burlington. 802-862-3966 or www.cctv.org/learn/youth-media/tv-summer-camps. Scholarships are available for Burlington residents.
- CollegeQuest to Health Care Careers — A six-week summer residential program for current Vermont 11th graders who are interested in health careers. Qualified students live in the residence halls, eat on campus, have access to university resources, and go to work with health professionals. 802-748-2506 or www.nevahec.org/health/149.html. Note: This program requires an application. There is no cost for this program; housing, meals. and all program materials are provided.
- Common Ground Center — Chinese culture weekend, Lost Arts camp, and camps for families with autistic children. Starksboro. Toll-free (800) 430-2667 or www.cgcvt.org. Financial aid is available.
- Craftsbury Outdoor Center — Sculling and running camps. Craftsbury. 802-586-7767 or www.craftsbury.com. Scholarships are available.
- Governor’s Institutes of Vermont — Study on the campuses of Vermont colleges; for students with a strong interest in arts, science & technology, information technology, engineering, mathematics, current issues & youth activism, or Asian cultures. Note: This program requires an application. Speak to your high school guidance counselor, call 802-229-4757, or go to www.giv.org. Scholarships are available.
- Green Across the Pacific — A three-week environmental leadership exchange program based at Champlain College where American and Chinese students study natural resources management. Burlington, VT and China. (802) 897-5232 or www.gatp.org. Financial aid is available. Note: The application process for this program is closed for summer 2012.
- Hazen’s Notch Association — Summer day and night camps where middle and high school students develop outdoor skills, self-confidence, cooperation, leadership, and awareness and respect for the environment. Montgomery. 802-326-4799 or www.hazensnotch.org/Summer_Camp_2.htm. Scholarships available.
- Lake Champlain Maritime Museum — Five-week Champlain Discovery program for students ages 13–16 features a boat-building program and a 12-day kayaking adventure. Vergennes. 802-475-2022 or www.lcmm.org/education/champlain_discovery.htm. Financial aid is available.
- Landmark College — A three-week, comprehensive academic and experiential program designed exclusively for high-potential students with dyslexia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other specific learning disabilities. Putney. 802-387-6718 or www.landmark.edu/programs/summer/high_school_summer.cfm. Financial aid is available.
- MedQuest Health Careers Exploration Program — A week of career development and asset-building activities on a college campus and in the surrounding healthcare community. Qualified high school students live in the residence halls, eat on campus, have access to university resources, and go to work with health professionals. Note: This program requires an online application. Scholarships may be available.
- For Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties: 802-527-1474 or www.cvahec.org/medquest.htm.
- For Bennington, Rutland, Windham, and Windsor counties: 802-885-2126 or www.svahec.org/MedQuest.html.
- For Northeast Vermont: 802-748-2506 or www.nevahec.org/health/146.html.
- Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy — Four-week language immersion program for middle school and high school students who want to study French, Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic on the Green Mountain College Campus in Poultney, or on several other campuses around the United States. 802-443-2900 or http://mmla.middlebury.edu/. Cost: $5,000. No financial aid is available.
- Norwich University Future Leader Camp — A two-week adventure and challenge-based summer camp that provides students with opportunities to gain leadership and team-building skills. Northfield. 802-485-2531 or www.norwich.edu/admissions/futureleader. Cost: $1,775 per session. No financial aid is available.
- Putney School Summer Programs — Opportunities for high school students to pursue their interests in visual and performing arts; writing; ESL; or farming, sustainability, and horsemanship in an independent and creative environment. Putney. 802-387-6297 or www.putneyschoolsummer.org. Financial aid is available.
- Rosie’s Girls — A three-week summer day camp for girls entering sixth, seventh, or eighth grade who want to build self-esteem, physical confidence, interpersonal cooperation, and leadership skills by learning and applying basic skills in carpentry and arts. Essex and Barre. 802-655-8900, ext. 105 or www.vtworksforwomen.org/rosiesgirls/. Financial aid is available.
- School of Cinema & Performing Arts (SOCAPA) — Summer camps and programs on the Champlain College campus and St. Johnsbury Academy campus for 13–19-year-olds. Activities include filmmaking, acting for film, dance, and photography. Burlington and St. Johnsbury. Toll-free (800) 718-2787 or www.socapa.org. Cost: $5,000. No financial aid is available.
- Shelburne Farms Summer Youth Program — Environmental, conservation, art, and agricultural camps for youth and teens. Shelburne. 802-985-8686 or http://www.shelburnefarms.org/node/393. Financial aid is available.
- UVM Engineering Summer Institute — Seven-day summer program in which teams of students work on one of four engineering projects and learn from guest speakers. Apply through the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont. Burlington. 802-656-8748 or www.cems.uvm.edu/giv/2012/. Some financial aid is available.
- Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports — Canoeing, kayaking, sailing, tandem biking, rock climbing, and more for individuals with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. Various Vermont locations. 802-786-4991 or www.vermontadaptive.org. No financial aid is available.
- Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council Cadet Training Program — Opportunities for high school students at least 16 years old to learn all facets of the criminal justice system at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford. Contact the American Legion at 802-223-7131 or http://vtlegion.org/Law--and--Cadet.php. Paid for by the local American Legion in student’s community.
- Vermont Institute of Natural Science — Summer nature camps in Bennington,, Poultney, Quechee, White River Junction, and Woodstock, VT; and in Cornish, Hanover, and Lebanon, NH. 802-359-5000, ext. 221 or www.vinsweb.org/index.php/nature-camp. Financial aid is available.
- Vermont State Firefighters Cadet Summer Fire Academy — A week-long residential camp for students ages 14–17. Designed to train youth who have a serious interest in pursuing a firefighting career. Pittsford. 802-447-9715 or www.vtfirefighters.org/12.html. Scholarships are available.
- Vermont Summer Jazz Camp — Week-long music day camp for students in grades 5–12. Colchester. 802-372-5363 or www.vtjazzcamp.com. Scholarships are available.
Financial aid availability is noted with each listing.
Tuition-Based Programs Outside of Vermont
- Bard College at Simon’s Rock — Three-week Young Writer’s Workshop for students in grades 9–11. Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-7231 or www.simons-rock.edu/young-writers.
- George Washington University Pre-College Program — Ten-day mini-courses (in biomedical engineering, business, law, leadership, photojournalism, politics, robotics, theater, or writing) for academically motivated students in grades 9–12. Washington, DC. (202) 994-6360 or www.gwu.edu/apply/precollege.
- Hampshire College Summer Studies in Math — A six-week rigorous math program. Amherst, MA. www.hcssim.org
- Harvard Secondary School Program — A program for motivated high school students who want a taste of college-level work. Cambridge, MA. (617) 495-3192 or www.summer.harvard.edu/programs/ssp/default.jsp.
- Massachusetts College of Art Summer Studios — A four-week, rigorous art program for students entering grades 11 and 12. Boston, MA. (617) 879-7174 or www.massart.edu/Continuing_Education/Youth_Programs/Summer_Studios.html.
- St. Louis University’s Parks Summer Academy — An introduction to educational and career opportunities in aviation and engineering. St. Louis, MO. (314) 977-7820 or http://parks.slu.edu/future-students/summer-programs/.
- Smith College’s Summer Science and Engineering Program — A month-long summer program for girls entering grades 9–12 who are interested in science, engineering, or medicine. Northampton, MA. (413) 585-3060 or www.smith.edu/summerprograms/ssep.
- University of Pennsylvania — A four-week summer arts and architecture program through Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs for students ages 15–18. Toll-free (866) 729-5788 or www.jkcp.com/artsatpenn/.
- Vanderbilt University Pre-College PAVE — A six-week summer program for incoming high school juniors and seniors interested in engineering, medicine, science, or technology. Nashville, TN. (615) 322-7827 or pave.vanderbilt.edu_ayindex.
- Broadreach — International summer adventures for teens. Toll-free (888) 833-1907 or www.gobroadreach.com.
- Experiment in International Living — International, cross-cultural education for high school students who immerse themselves for three to five weeks in the daily life of another culture through community service, language study, ecology, travel, the arts, cooking, photography, theater, or outdoor adventure. Toll-free (800) 345-2929 or www.experimentinternational.org.
- Kroka Expeditions — Summer adventure programs in the northern U.S. during which students work with and live in nature to build strong character, responsibility, community, and a sense of place in harmony with nature. (603) 835-9087 or www.kroka.org/summer/summer.shtml.
- National Student Leadership Conference — High school students from all 50 states participate in one- to two-week conferences across the U.S. on culinary arts, education & the classroom, engineering, entrepreneurship, forensic science, international diplomacy, intelligence & national security, journalism, law & advocacy, leadership, medicine & healthcare, sports & entertainment management, study abroad, theater, and U.S. policy & politics. Toll-free (800) 994-6752 or www.nslcleaders.org.
- Office of Naval Research Science & Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP) — Eight-week summer science and engineering research program in which high school students work alongside Department of Defense researchers. Toll-free (888) 715-2773 or http://seap.asee.org.
- Sea Education Association — Incoming high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors learn science at sea and the oceanography of the Southern California Bight. Incoming high school juniors and seniors and college freshmen learn the oceanography of the Gulf of Maine. Woods Hole, MA. Toll-free (800) 552-3633 or www.sea.edu/academics/program_highschoolprograms.aspx.
- Student Conservation Association (SCA) — Tuition-free, month-long, coeducational conservation work crew program. (603) 543-1700 or www.thesca.org/serve/national-crews.
- Summer Science Program — A residential program in which high school juniors and sophomores from around the world complete a challenging, hands-on research project in celestial mechanics that strengthens connections to all areas of science. New Mexico and California. Toll-free (866) 728-0999 or www.summerscience.org/home/index.php.
Library resources
The VSAC Resource Center library has useful books to help make your summer productive and profitable. Use our convenient online library catalogue to locate titles that may interest you.
Borrow books by visiting the VSAC Resource Center in downtown Winooski or by requesting an interlibrary loan at your local or school library (your librarian can submit a request for you).
Software resources
VT Guidance Central is a personalized, self-guided online program that provides comprehensive career, college, and education planning tools.
Take advantage of VT Guidance Central this summer to:
- explore career possibilities
- identify the training you need for specific careers
- search for colleges/universities that fit your desired criteria (e.g., location, size, programs/majors, activities, costs)
- learn about financial aid options
- and much more!
Interested in working this summer?
Working at a summer job will help you earn money for college and develop workplace skills (like responsibility) that will stand you in good stead in all areas of your life. It doesn’t hurt on a college application either.
As the dean of one competitive college observed, "I’ve seen a student gain far more from working as a bagger in a supermarket than from studying overseas."
Ways to begin looking for a job:
- your community newspaper
- Front Porch Forum (now in more than 70 Vermont towns)
- word of mouth (ask neighbors, parents of friends, etc.)
- local businesses (Stop in at your local restaurant, grocery store, or business to ask for an application, but make sure you’re presentable. Ask yourself, “Would I hire me if I looked the way I did?")
Practice filling out job applications.
Compiled by the VSAC Resource Center, Updated January 2013