The Recreation Department is excited that you are interested in being a part of our Teen Volunteer program this summer! The following information serves as your orientation and will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a successful volunteer for our department.
As a Teen Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to:
- Learn a new skill
- Make new friends
- Develop your leadership skills
- Help the community
- Be a role model for a child
To be a Teen Volunteer, there are a few eligibility requirements that you need to meet. First, you must be entering into grades 7-12. You must be a mature and responsible leader, and lastly, be able to attend all of the dates that your chosen program meets.
As a Teen Volunteer, we have expectations and responsibilities that you will be held accountable for, such as professionalism. You are representing the Recreation Department, so we ask that you handle yourself in a professional manner. In other words, think of this as a job interview. Oftentimes, we hire Teen Volunteers who exhibit maturity and a professional attitude. They become part of our paid staff, working Camp Shorewood, or one our other recreation programs. Some of the other expectations and responsibilities that add to the professionalism piece are:
- Be punctual. Show up to your class at least 10 minutes prior to the start time so you can check in with your instructor and see how they will need your assistance for the day.
- Be proactive. Being proactive means that you are initiating an action, rather than reacting to a situation. For example, if you see a child who is struggling in your program and may need help, ask the child if they need help, rather than waiting for the instructor to tell you to help.
- Follow all facility rules and assist in the enforcement of those rules. We do not expect you to be an expert in what all the facility rules are, but use your common sense. For example, if you see a child running in the hallway, please politely remind them that they need to walk in the hallway.
- Be a role model. As a Teen Volunteer it is crucial that you model the behaviors that you want out of class participants. This means that you should always be encouraging and exemplify fair play, good sportsmanship and positive behavior.
- Commitment. You are expected to attend all scheduled meeting days of your program. There are exceptions, and they will be taken on a case by case basis. For example, if your program meets every day during the summer, it is certainly not expected that you volunteer each and every day, preferably in week blocks. Please arrange this with the instructor and myself so we are all aware of what days you are committing to.
- Lastly, have fun! This is your summer break, and this should be a positive experience for you. Being a Teen Volunteer is all about gaining leadership skills towards your next step in being an employee with us or somewhere else in the work force. Have a good time and make memories!
Cell phones: You should not be using your cell phone for personal calls or text messages during the program unless it is an emergency. We recommend having a watch so you can check the time without looking at your phone. You may NEVER post or use pictures from our programs on your personal social media pages. Violation of photo policy or inappropriate cellphone use could result in termination.
Attire: Please wear appropriate attire. For example, if you are teen volunteering for a sports program, wear tennis shoes and clothes for active participation or for an art program, wear clothes that you wouldn’t mind getting dirty.
Now that we have covered the basics, let’s talk about how Teen Volunteers are commonly utilized. Keep in mind that this list is not all inclusive and there may be other duties that you will need to perform, but this serves as a general list.
- Working one on one with a child
- Leading a game/activity with children who have completed their instruction/project/activity
- Demonstrating a skill or game for the group
- Preparing supplies and materials
Please let our office know if you need any documentation for any groups or clubs to verify volunteering hours immediately upon accepting a position.
Sign up for our Teen Volunteer Interest List online at www.shorewoodrecreation.org with course #4001. When Shorewood Recreation has a volunteer position available, we will reach out via email to our Interest List. Please be sure to include the teen’s email, as we like to communicate with the teen directly. Please note, signing for the Interest List does not guarantee a volunteer position. We may have more interested teens than spots available and these positions are given out on a first come first serve basis.
