With summer break approaching fast, students are making plans to fill their break schedule. For many, these plans consist of hanging out with friends, going to the beach and spending too much money on Starbucks. However, before students become fully booked for the summer, they may want to take this opportunity to incorporate working, volunteering or interning into their summer plans.
There are certain things students will want to experience and indulge in as they continue to age and discover newfound independence and responsibility.
A majority of those experiences and independence require money as well as a means to get around.
Specifically, students want to stop having to bribe their parents for rides to places. They want to get their own car, which also means they have to have a way to pay for the car and its expenses. That is why high school can be such a fun and exciting time for teenagers – they are finally able to work and spend their own money how they please.
Job Opportunities Close to School
NHS students are lucky because they are located near many employment opportunities, one of the most convenient being the Coastland Center Mall. With a majority of stores in the mall hiring at sixteen, most students can go directly from school to their work.
Proximity to downtown also offers opportunities for money to be made. With a collection of high-end restaurants and shops, the area is a very good place to work.
Publix is another option for work because they hire at fifteen, allowing freshmen to work.
Even more opportunities can be found on Indeed.com, which is a website where users can browse different jobs in the area. It gives the list of requirements for each job, as well as their descriptions. When searching for jobs, there are a few very important things to keep in mind as to how to first present yourself as well as contacting the business.
“Bring your resume, dress professionally and walk into the organization of your interest to see if they are able to hire you,” Greater Naples Chamber Director of Initiatives Alex Breault said. “After, follow up with an email thanking them for their time and attach your resume.”
Internships
Internships are beneficial for a variety of reasons, one of those being that students can gain experience in their field of interest that can one day apply to the career they pursue. In other words, being an intern gives students a head start into their profession.
“Being in a professional setting and learning foundational skills and workplace etiquette is extremely valuable for all individuals,” Breault said. “Also, an internship allows you the opportunity to build your professional network for future connections.”
For students in a National Academy Foundation (NAF) class, the CCPS district has a portal of different internship opportunities available. These internships have a wide range of positions from social media marketing to horticulture.
Click here to see the list of internships available to NAF Academy Students: https://www.collierschools.com/Page/10852. At the top of this page, there is another link that leads to applications. For additional internship opportunities, students can reach out to the Greater Naples Chamber.
Volunteering
Another great way to give back to the community and gain valuable skills is to volunteer.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is asking for volunteers over the summer. The minimum age to apply is 16. Their infographic shows more information.
There is also the Collier County Schools Extended School Year Program in which students can assist children with disabilities.
However, these are just two of the many different volunteer opportunities to be found around Naples.
Allison Ferraro, the CCPS district coordinator for counseling has mentioned a valuable resource to high school students when it comes to volunteering and logging hours.
“All Collier County Public School students in grades 9-12 have access to the Transeo resource to find, track and log community service opportunities,” Ferraro said. “When a student logs into their account, they can click on the ‘Organizations’ tab to see nearly 40 different organizations (and growing) that welcome high school volunteers. This portal is used to submit proposals and log hours.”
The link to the full instructions for this resource can be accessed here:
