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What are you doing this summer?

You’ve waited all year for it—the bell on the last day of school. For some, this sound signals the onset of days at the beach, road trips and summer parties. However, many teens are using their summers off to fulfill community service requirements, prepare for college or embark on international adventures.

From sports to intensive academic programs, community service to career preparation, summer programs are available for anyone looking to prepare for the future or just have fun and make lifelong friends. Following is just a sample of the kinds of activities you could do this summer!

Give back to the community
Community service programs not only provide the opportunity to help others, they help build character and relationships and encourage teamwork. Many service-based programs meet community service requirements for graduation and college admittance.

One way to travel while helping others is to choose a service program located in a country you would like to visit. One service-oriented organization, Lifeworks, offers three- to six-week service trips to a variety of places. Participants work with local, national and international service groups, such as The Charles Darwin Foundation and Research Station on the Galapagos Islands.

Go behind the scenes
Heading to Hollywood after graduation to hit the big screen? Or maybe your dreams take you to Broadway. Either way, there are numerous intensive summer acting programs offering behind-the-scenes looks at the exciting world of acting. Each summer, Education Unlimited hosts a High School Actor’s Workshop and an Intensive Actor’s Workshop at the University of California-Berkeley.

Jenny Herbert, curriculum director of Education Unlimited, says that students in this program get on stage, learn performance basics and physical, vocal and improvisational techniques. One ninth-grade student who attended one such camp says the program helped her build confidence and poise.

Another example of a performance camp is the Theatre Lab’s Summer Acting Institute for Teens in Washington, D.C. This is a four-week program through which teens attend audition seminars and improvisational workshops and undergo voice/movement training and scene study.

Have an outdoor adventure
Instead of hanging out at the mall or vegging out on PlayStation all summer, why not try something new? Did you ever think you’d skipper a yacht, raft Costa Rica’s rivers, sea kayak or dive on the Red Sea’s reefs?

Broadreach is one company that specializes in summer adventure programs for teens. You can find programs that give participants scuba training and certification, sail training and certification, marine biology studies, wilderness adventures and international travel.

Camp Voyageur in Ely, Minn., takes campers (sorry, boys only) canoeing, backpacking and kayaking in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness each summer. Camp-goers follow the routes of the French voyageurs who carried the fur trade from Montreal and Lake Superior to the Northwest Territories.

Expand your knowledge
With college admissions becoming increasingly competitive, you may consider an academic summer program to help you stand out from the crowd. College preparatory programs, generally held at college campuses, are a way to get that competitive edge, expand your knowledge and have fun while you’re at it.

UConn Mentor Connection, held at the University of Connecticut, is a chance for teens to spend three weeks focusing on a specific area of study with university professors and mentors. Participants are eligible for college credit.

At Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y., you can earn college credit by participating in six-week academic programs. You’ll live in a dorm and attend classes and special activities to get a firsthand feel for college.

Career-preparation programs help prepare teens for what comes after high school graduation and college. Young women from across the U.S. attend Camp $tart Up! each summer to learn how successful women transform their dreams into self-run businesses. Entrepreneurial women show campers how to develop business plans, build an investment portfolio, how to effectively network and negotiate, business etiquette, stress management and effective team working skills. Camps are held at college campuses across the U.S.

Surf’s up
Whether you’re looking for athletic training and competition or a recreational sports camp, there are many from which to choose—from surf camp to lacrosse. Beginners through advanced surfers can attend a seven-day Surf Camp at Wrightsville Beach, N.C. Campers stay on the UNC-Wilmington campus and learn techniques from professional instructors while surfing four different islands.

Throughout the summer, International Junior Golf Academy offers weekly intensive golf workshops for teens. Participants focus on a pre-shot routine, grip, set-up, posture, alignment and ball position, as well as swing motion. Students receive instruction on specific aspects of golf on designated days and work with coaches.

Tip of the iceberg
All of the programs listed here have something in common—they can help you get direction for the future academically, athletically or socially. One major advantage to many programs is that they allow students to live on a college campus, which is a great way to get a feel for college life.

The programs covered here are just the tip of the iceberg. The Internet is a great resource for locating summer programs. Your school’s counseling office and local library should have information on programs as well. Before you head off to the beach or curl up on the couch, consider a summer program that can be both enriching and fun. College and the real world are just around the corner, and a summer program can help prepare you for the future.

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