Free Summer Programs for High Schoolers that are Great

It happens every summer.  Despite the best laid plans of parents who really don’t want their children to be couch surfers all summer, June shows up, and Junior’s plans for a busy summer have changed, been cancelled, or never really showed up.  What to do now?

It’s handy to be a school counselor once in a while, and this is one of those times.  These free events may not fill up every waking day of your student’s summer, but throw in some regularly scheduled volunteer time at the library or the local YMCA, and you’ll be on to a pretty good summer that leaves students rested, fit, financially savvy, and in a better mental space.

A free online course on mental health from Yale.  College professors noticed a significant uptick in student disengagement—basically, they saw students who showed up to class, took notes, asked no questions, and went home.  COVID only made matters worse, since many colleges abandoned in-person meetings for a while.

Enter a psychology instructor from Yale, who saw the current mental health epidemic in the making.  She responded by producing a course called The Science of Well-Being, a course which quickly became the most popular class offered at Yale.  Ever. 

The course has been reconfigured for high school students, and is called The Science of Well-Being for Teens.  It’s being offered online this summer for free, and is a perfect resource for students who need a chance to look at the big picture in their lives.  Any teen can take the course, and the materials are designed for students from all walks of life—you don’t have to be an Ivy League candidate to take the course and get your life back.

Free use of Planet Fitness  The franchise that’s made a living promoting fitness for all is at it again, giving all teens ages 14-19 a free summer pass to use the facilities at the local Planet Fitness of their choice.  Teens need to register online, and the free pass is only good for one Planet Fitness location—but being able to do something cool like going to the gym that’s air conditioned-cool is a real plus.  Registered students also have a shot at earning money for their school, and making a video to be considered for a scholarship.  Parent permission is needed for students under 18.

Free course in financial literacy  Interest has never been higher in making sure students know how to handle money— so much so that about half the states have a high school graduation requirement for a financial literacy course.  Ironically, that means nearly all online financial literacy courses for high school students comes with—you guessed it—a fee.

This article provides a wide array of free financial planning courses, many that address topics for adults. This page from Bank of America isn’t so much a class as a potpourri of videos and articles on financial basics, including paying for college—and again, all free. These offer a great way for students to customize their financial education.

Others For students who want to do something more with their summers in addition to improving their mental health, getting physically fit, and making sure they don’t go broke, Teen Life has a comprehensive list of summer programs, including about three dozen free online courses for high school students in a wide array of topics. 

Solstice Midnight Swims

Odd, it seems in summer heat
To turn the clock around
Yet right past noon June 21
We’re now all winter bound.
The birds aren’t quite through raising young
But growth in summer days is done.

Good Humor trucks will still ring clear
And skies with rocket’s glare
Beach-based fires will yield guitars
To sing their folkie fare
And yet one day we’ll see the moon
And wonder why it’s here so soon.

Our bursting youth who claim they’re bored
Will moan on just the same
Til back to school sales begin
Inflicting humid pain.
Wear corduroy in August heat
And shoes that make me tie my feet?

We gladly think on frosty days
Of lemonade and gentle breeze
But use July to ponder scarves
Or coats that fall beneath our knees
And our perceptions seem to dim
Our Kick the Can and midnight swims.

Like what you see? Subscribe for free!