If you are a high school student in NYC looking to make the most of your summer break, volunteering is a great way to do so! Along with helping students gain valuable experience and skills, volunteering also helps them make a difference in their community and give back. It helps build your resume and significantly enhance your college applications. 

One hurdle to volunteering is the cost and time required to commute to places far away. However, if you reside in New York, there are several volunteer programs and we have put together a list of 10 such programs that are ideal for high school students. 

Note: The following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.

1. Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)

Application deadline: Rolling Deadlines

Location: Various national parks

Cost: Free. Stipend available (minimum wage)

Duration: 1 - 3 months in the summer

Eligibility: Students applying have to be at least 15 at the start of the enrolment and 18 or younger on the program's final day. Students applying should also be US citizens, have a social security number, and be able to obtain a state work permit.

YCC is a solid opportunity for high school students who love the outdoors. It aims to teach students a sense of responsibility for the environment by engaging them in team-based work projects at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, etc. Daily projects would include building and fixing trails, teaching environmental education, preserving historic buildings, removing invasive species, etc. A bonus is the aid YCC provides to help you connect with professionals working in environmental conservation. You also get to participate in educational field trips such as hiking, a visit to an ancient ruin, and climbing the top of a mountain.

Do note that YCC is a non-residential and local program, so students applying will have to arrange their travel to and from the work site daily. Yellowstone National Park is the only exception to this; it is a residential program.

2. New York Presbyterian’s Volunteer Program

Application deadline: Ongoing

Location: New York Presbyterian Hospital

Cost: Free. 

Duration: Minimum 150 hours during 6 months of service

Eligibility: Students at least 16 years of age with a valid social security number

New York Presbyterian volunteers have to provide services and care to patients at the hospital. New York Presbyterian works with over 2300 volunteers every year across 11 locations. There are numerous different roles available for volunteers, depending on their schedules, abilities, and interests. There are various options available for volunteers, such as directly working with patients or choosing to work in different clerical positions. Clerical positions would include tasks like data entry, filing, making phone calls, and supporting different hospital departments with administrative duties. Your application process will involve an online application, an interview, and a final medical evaluation and background check!

3. Mount Sinai’s Junior Medical Program (JuMP)

Application deadline: March 31

Location: New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Cost: Free

Duration: Minimum 100 hours during 6-8 weeks 

Eligibility: Students should be 15-17 years old with a valid social security number and interested in healthcare.

Volunteers learn about the daily duties of a hospital staff member in both clinical and non-clinical areas from medical specialists. A few volunteer positions currently available are Lobby ambassadors where you will be expected to offer directions, greet families, and escort patients, Patient care support volunteers where you have to fulfill the non-clinical needs of patients such as giving them friendly visits helping orient new patients, and more. More information on volunteer positions can be found here.

4. Bronx Zoo’s Project True

Application deadline: Late February

Location: Bronx Zoo

Cost: Free. Stipend Available

Duration: Summer Program (June - August), Fall Program (September - December) 

Eligibility: High school sophomores or juniors currently residing in the Bronx, should be comfortable in both indoor and outdoor settings and interested in science and the environment. 

Students participating in Project True will get to work alongside a team of college students, scientists, and professors from Fordham University and the Wildlife Conservation Society and conduct field research. Field research assistants help assist in ongoing research projects on NYC wildlife. You will also get the opportunity to conduct an authentic research project and present your findings. Volunteers will also receive assistance in applying for colleges and receiving financial assistance

5. Monday Night Hospitality

Application deadline: All year round

Location: Monday Night Hospitality

Cost: Free

Duration: Depends on the volunteer 

Eligibility: Everybody 15 and over is eligible. Students below the age of 18 need to bring an adult along for the first three Mondays.

Monday Night Hospitality distributes freshly prepared meals to the needy. They also help people in need connect with available social services. Volunteers prepare the food and hand it out each Monday night. There are individual as well as group volunteer opportunities. Cooking, food packing, distribution, indoor dining assistance, dishwashing, and pantry food distribution are the different teams that volunteers may be allotted to. 

6. American Museum Of Natural History

Application deadline: Ongoing

Location: American Museum of Natural History

Cost: Free

Duration: At least one year 

Eligibility: Must be at least 16 years old

The American Museum of Natural History welcomes hundreds of volunteers. The museum also organizes a reception every year to acknowledge and recognize its volunteers’ efforts. All volunteers, while applying, must have a consistent time commitment, ranging from a half-day to several days per week for at least a year. Currently, the museum needs information desk volunteers in their new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. These volunteers offer information about the museum, various exhibitions, and programs, as well as provide customer service and help visitors with disabilities.

7. Queens Public Library

Application deadline: All year round

Location: Queens Public Library branches

Cost: Free

Duration: Varies 

Eligibility: Must be at least 14 years old. All students 18 and younger must submit a signed parental consent and proof of valid Employment Certificate issued by their high school.

This program has various types of projects falling under three main categories. Projects have a requirement of 2-5 hours, with options for single-say, virtual, or even DIY projects! Time commitments for virtual or DIY projects differ based on the project. Community service credit is provided for all volunteer opportunities. You may also be offered a part-time or a full-time position based on your performance. One of their ongoing projects is Library Aide where volunteers help with checking in returned items such as CDs, books, etc, and shelving books. 

8. ASPCA Adoption Center Shelter Support

Application deadline: All year round

Location: ASPCA Adoption Center

Cost: Free

Duration: Varies 

Eligibility: Volunteers must be at least 16. Students wanting to fulfill court-appointed community service requirements are not eligible. All volunteers need to be up to date on vaccinations. 

If you're interested in veterinary sciences, or just love animals, working at an adoption center is a great opportunity. At ASPCA, shelter support volunteers help with daily care tasks under the supervision of Integrated Care Assistants. Their tasks would include laundry, sorting donated goods, stocking supplies, washing dishes, washing transport cages, and additional support when required. You must be able to lift up to 35 pounds and stand without assistance for up to three hours in order to perform your duties. Students wishing to volunteer must first watch the NYC Volunteer Information Session and take a quiz. You will only receive the volunteer application if they score 85% or above on the quiz.

9. Meaningful Teens

Application deadline: Rolling Admissions

Location: Remote

Cost: Free. 

Duration: Varies depending on the program

Eligibility:  Open to all high school students.

Meaningful Teens currently has 15 projects, all aimed at teaching English and other essential subjects to under-resourced students across the globe. After students fill out a Google form, they will be allotted to one of these programs.

A few examples of their ongoing projects are Project Speak Together, where you get to work one-on-one with students in Ukraine to help them practice English, and Project Kuunganishka where students in America are connected with teens in Kenya and encouraged to exchange languages and cultures, and Project Dialogo that helps  students in Mexico become fluent at English through weekly conversations 

10. Discovery Guide

Application deadline: Applications for Spring will open in late December/early January

Location: 5 Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and the New York Aquarium

Cost: Free

Duration: Varies 

Eligibility: Youth ages 14-22

Wildlife Conservation Society offers you a chance to become a discovery guide at one of their 4 zoos or the New York Aquarium. Duties as a discovery guide will include engaging zoo visitors in entertaining and instructive activities all around the park and informing them about the various animals in their zoos and how they are taken care of. They also help with educational programs and supporting wildlife and the environment through WCS initiatives. This program will help volunteers enhance their public speaking, teaching, science communication, and customer service abilities. While students volunteer, they get a discount at the WCS parks on retail and food purchases and get free entry to all WCS zoos and aquariums.

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.