The Dream: Your teenager gets a paid internship for the summer working in a safe environment in an exciting field, supervised by caring adult mentors.
The reality: Your teenager divides his summer between handing burgers through the drive-in window and "hanging out with the guys."
Are those really the choices? There are only five summers between junior year of high school and graduation from college and each one can be a terrific opportunity for learning or earning. Some planning, research and goal setting can enhance your teen's summer. Here's how to get started.
Set Goals
First, sit down with your teen and talk about the goals for the summer. Is earning money for college or other expenses the top priority? If so, how much is a reasonable amount to earn and save (after expenses and some spending money)?
Some colleges require recipients of financial aid to earn $1,500 toward expenses during the summer. If your child makes $6 an hour and works 40 hours a week for 10 weeks, gross pay will be $2,400. Taxes will eat up about 10-12% of that leaving $2,150. If expenses (gas, car insurance) and spending money total $40 a week, your child could have over $1,700 squirreled away before school starts.
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Set up automatic deposit of the payroll check into a checking account with a fixed amount siphoned directly into a savings account.
Unpaid Opportunities
If you are willing to subsidize summer expenses, the choices multiply: unpaid internships, volunteer work, summer school in the U.S. or abroad, travel. Is getting a jump on college courses high on the list or is your teen yearning for a summer in an exotic locale?
Next, do the research. The Web is a wonderful resource and there are lots of books and guides. Some examples are listed below.
Remember to be realistic. Your vision of an internship with a law firm may not jive with your teen's dream of biking across Europe. Your teen should be an active participant in researching and planning her summer, with guidance from you.
Traditional Summer Job
Money can be a great motivator, but there are other good reasons for your teen to hold down a summer job. He can learn about working with non-parental authority figures, prioritizing tasks, getting along with coworkers, figuring the tax bite on his paycheck and being on time and ready to work each day. The down side can be boredom with a tedious job and an inflated sense of wealth. Teens don't just hang out at malls -- they spend their paychecks there.
Your child can begin by targeting companies in fields she may wish to pursue as a career: the zoo, the local newspaper, an engineering firm. Even if the work involves clerical tasks, the exposure to a particular profession or industry can give a teen a head start on future job decisions.
College Courses
High school students and soon-to-be college freshmen can jump start their college studies by enrolling in coursework during the summer. Some universities even offer students the ability to finish in three years by attending summer school before and after freshmen year. Saving a year's worth of tuition and room and board will more than cover the summer job income your child would have earned.
Unpaid Internships
Lucky -- or diligent --is the student who lines up an exciting paid internship. However, many companies and government agencies know teens will grab an opportunity to work for free in the right setting for the right experience. Some internships are plums (and well worth foregoing a wage), but do your research.
The Princeton Review publishes a Guide to America's Top 100 Internships that lists such places as MTV and the Center for Investigative Reporting. Websites include www.internships.com, www.si.edu (Smithsonian Institute), and www.rsinternships.com (Rising Star Internships) which has such listings as Graphic Computer Information Systems intern or Culinary intern at Amelia Island Plantation -- no pay, but beautiful surroundings and possible college credit.
Learning Vacations
A summer hiking in Nepal above the clouds and an archaeological dig in Bolivia are just two listings in Gerson Eisenberg's book Learning Vacations. The whole family can troop along on these. Investigate these opportunities carefully because they are often expensive and in faraway places.
Other Opportunities
Perhaps volunteering at the National Wildlife Federation or Habitat for Humanity is just the ticket for your teen. Some students combine a part-time job with volunteering, earning income from the job and experience with a non-profit organization. A list of organizations accepting teenage volunteers can be found in The Princeton Review Student Advantage Guide to Summer by Michael Freedman.
The lure of a paid job in a fun locale can be irresistible, but check these out carefully. One college sophomore eagerly set out for a summer working at Disney World to discover the hours are long, the work unglamorous and the accommodations -- well, she called it "Mouscatraz." Talk to people who have worked there recently before you sign up.
