PROSPECT HEIGHTS — With a recent string of spring-like days and March around the corner, warmer months are on their way and, with them, the season of summer internships.
But luckily for neighborhood parents, the many cultural institutions of Prospect Heights — and neighboring Crown heights — have a lot of opportunities for teenagers and young adults this summer, from volunteering at the Prospect Park Zoo to becoming a feminism-focused “Digital Artizen” at the Brooklyn Museum.
To help families avoid a summer of boredom, we rounded up seven things for high schoolers to do in the neighborhood this year, both paid and volunteer. Check out the list and, if we missed your favorite program or opportunity, be sure to let us know on Neighborhood Square below:
Brooklyn Public Library
► BCAP Teen Creative Leadership Project
Learn the basics of documentary filmmaking and earn a stipend in this six-week program that uses Prospect Heights’ cultural institutions — including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Prospect Park — as the backdrop for this full-day digital media program. The BCAP project is meant for teenagers interested in media, communications and “youth leadership,” organizers said.
How to apply: Complete an application (and personal essay) online.
Deadline: March 15
► Summer Book Buddies
Teens between 12 and 18 years old are encouraged to volunteer as “book buddies” for between 3 and 9 hours per week for the summer, reading to young children, helping to plan children’s programming at the library and creating book displays at their local branch.
How to apply: Fill out a volunteer application online.
Deadline: Rolling; contact your local branch for more information.
► “Today’s Teens, Tomorrow’s Techies”
In this 6- to 12-month program, teens ages 14 to 18 years old will learn computer skills in a two-week technology workshop over the summer, then complete a 6-month volunteering course at their local library, helping visitors to access the library’s computers and other technology resources. By the end of the program, students will complete about 20 hours of training in STEM-related skills, as well, and “graduate” with a $200 stipend, a program organizer said.
How to apply: Complete an online application here.
Deadline: May 31
Prospect Park Zoo
► Discovery Guide
Greet zoo visitors at exhibits, help with special events and get community service hours at a “Discovery Guide” at the Prospect Park Zoo, a position open to teenagers and college students who may be interested in a career with animals. Volunteers are required to work from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. two days a week for the summer and are encouraged to complete 100 hours of community service at the zoo the following school year on weekends.
How to apply: Complete an online application, to be submitted with a written recommendation from a teacher or community leader.
Deadline: May 1
► Teen Internship
In this three-week summer internship, teenagers ages 13 to 17 will learn the basics of zookeeping, conduct an animal behavior study and meet with staff of the Wildlife Conservation Society. The program runs from July 13 to 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
How to apply: Complete an application online here.
Deadline: Not yet announced; contact ppzeducation@wcs.org for more information.
Brooklyn Museum
► BKM Digital Artizens
Get paid $8.75 an hour to learn about (and create) feminist artwork through the use of digital media in the “BKM Digital Artizens” program at the Elizabeth Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 are encouraged to apply; applicants must be able to attend 11 evening meetings on Tuesday and Thursdays between June 30 and August 6.
How to apply: Applications will be posted here soon, program organizers said.
Deadline: April 22
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
► Young Adult Internships
Open to high schoolers or college students interested in working with children or a career in museum operations, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum offers a variety of internships to young people, including opportunities in their Membership Department and in the Sensory Room, a special exhibit designed with children on the autism spectrum in mind, but which is open to kids of all abilities.
How to apply: Check out the various internships available and apply online here.
Deadline: Rolling, depending on the program. Contact ssmith@brooklynkids.org for more information.
