Education Roundup: Cool summer opportunities for teens, March 17

With students home from school, we are taking this week to look at summer opportunities for middle and high schoolers and college students. Next week, we'll look at online enrichment and education resources for students.

WWOOFING: If your student, age 18 or up, is looking for gap year ideas or summer work/travel, there is a wide variety of opportunities available through this free program. Our daughter spent three months in Ireland WWOOFING and loved it. There is a subscription fee of around $40 to the nonprofit to access the program sites. wwoofinternational.org.

Girls Who Code: This summer Immersion Program is a free seven-week introductory computer science program for 10th and 11th grade girls going into their junior or senior year of high school. During the seven-week program, participants learn about computer science, gain exposure to tech jobs, and join a sisterhood of girls who are using computer science to become change-makers. Visit girlswhocode.com/summer-immersion-programs/. Apply at girlswhocodesm.smapply.io/.

Camp Cinder Shasta: Girls ages 14 to 18 are invited to apply to a free Cal Fire firefighter summer camp for girls June 22 to 26 in Redding. Campers will learn water and rope rescue, vehicle extraction, helicopter operations, and more. Apply by April 26 at fire.ca.gov/camp-cinder.

Paid internship: The Sonoma Index-Tribune will be hiring a paid summer intern again this year. The person must be in college or a recent grad, with some journalism experience. Email a resume and clips to jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.

The CHP Explorer Program: There is a unique opportunity for young men and women ages 15 to 20 to become an integral part of the California Highway Patrol operations, and experience what a career in law enforcement would be like. Successful completion of the Explorer Program can open many doors and present many opportunities for the youth of tomorrow, especially for an Explorer who is planning to make the CHP a career. For questions about the Explorer Program, contact the Golden Gate Office in Napa CHP at 253-4906. Ask for officer Vince Pomplanio for more information. The program meets on Wednesday nights.

Tinker opp: The CTE Foundation Sonoma County is offering a new free Girls Tinker Academy, a program partnership with Community WISE (Women Investing in STEM Equity) and Sonoma State University. This summer, 24 middle school students from across Sonoma County will be selected to attend the hands-on sessions to be taught by SSU professors in the SSU Makerspace. They will participate in a variety of activities including coding, modeling, crafting, sewing and building. Applications are due March 26 at ctesonomacounty.org/tinker for more information.

Leadership: Kaiser Permanente is looking for teens interested in serving on the Kaiser Teen Advisory Council. Students who are interested in medicine, mental health or teen advocacy should consider applying. If you're interested or have questions, contact Mandy Weltman at 566-5253.

Good for your resume: Sonoma State is looking for teen volunteers to serve as teaching assistants for its EXCEL summer program. The deadline to apply is May 12. web.sonoma.edu/exed/excel/high-school-assistant-information.

Summer program: The California Academy of Sciences is now recruiting teens for its Teen Advocates for Science Communication summer program. The committment is once a week from June 4 to Aug. 17. Volunteers carry out the Academy's mission to explore, explain, and sustain life by designing and presenting original public programs. Applications are due April 3. Calacademy.org/youthprograms.

Internship: The Buck Institute for Research on Aging offers a seven-week internship for high school juniors and senior in biomedical and geroscience research. There is a charge of $2,500 per intern but some scholarships are available. Applications are due March 22. Visit buckinstitute.org/content/summer-scholars.

Internship: The Pepperwood Preserve internship program combines nature exploration, technology, social media, photography, ecology and career awareness. Students apply at pepperwoodpreserve.org/what-we-do/nature-education/teennat/#apply by April 6.

Email other cool opportunities for teens to ourschools@sonomanews.com.