Program & Resource Hubs

The following are hubs list national and international opportunities for teens and young adults who wish to travel or find local or international volunteer programming. This list is not exhaustive, but is a good place to begin if you seek to access amazing opportunities.

Saints & Scholars, Inc. does not officially endorse any of these programs or resources. This is not an exhaustive list but rather a starting point to begin your search for meaningful opportunities. If you are an organization with a similar mission and would like to be added to our database, please reach out to us.

Please also check with your high school or college as they are often a wealth of information for programs and resources that focus on service learning, internships, career development, travel, post-graduation planning, support services, and gap year options.

Summer Exploration or Internship Programs with a Career Focus • Boston Area

The following opportunities focus on skill building, internships or community service that exist in Boston or the Boston area. Some opportunities only exist each summer while other organizations have programming throughout the year.

Boston College - BC Experience for HS Students

  • Chestnut Hill, MA

  • Preparing students for their college search process through the exploration of majors and through activities that support the transition into college life. The Boston College pre-college experience is unique in that it is rooted in the philosophies of Jesuit education, which means that all our programs and activities are centered around the values of caring for the whole person, being men and women for others, and discernment

Boston Leadership Institution

  • Wellesley, MA

  • STEM programs for students, both in-person and remote

  • One week or three week programs

Boston University - Summer HS Programs at BU

  • Boston, MA

  • BU’s long-running Summer Term pre-college offerings include a choice of one-, two, three, and six-week programs that prepare you for success in college. With five exciting and challenging pre-college summer programs to choose from, you can earn college credit, discover a new subject area, perform cutting-edge research in University labs, or immerse yourself in hands-on learning.

City of Boston - SUCCESSLINK YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT JOBS

  • Boston, MA

  • Youth Engagement and Employment

  • The mission is to employ, develop, and engage Boston’s youth.

Dynamy

  • Worcester, MA

  • Internship Year Programs; Transition to Higher Ed.

The Education Cooperative (TEC)

  • East Walpole, MA

  • Summer Internship programs for teens

Harvard Summer School

  • Cambridge, MA

  • A pre-college program on Harvard’s campus with programs that fall into just about any category

  • Three week and a half sessions throughout the summer

Medicine Wheel

• South Boston, MA

• Participate in site specific public art projects

  • Paid employment summer program in South Boston ages 14 - 18

Plugged In

• Needham, MA

  • A non-competitive music program, provides band and individual performance opportunities in support of community and charitable causes.

The Possible Zone

• Cambridge, MA

  • To advance economic equity by ensuring young people develop the

    entrepreneurial spirit, skills, and networks to launch successful careers.

Sociedad Latina

• Roxbury, MA

  • Training young people, ages 14-18, as Youth Community Organizers (YCOs) to organize and implement bilingual, culturally-relevant grassroots campaigns that engage, inform, and mobilize hundreds of community members and youth of color.

Summer Search

• Boston, MA

  • Year-round group and individual mentoring, transformational summer experiences, and post-secondary preparations and advising for Boston-area youth.

YouthBuild • Boston

• Roxbury, MA

  • Empowering and assisting underserved young people from the Boston area with the essential social, vocational, academic, and life skills necessary to navigate a positive pathway to self-sufficiency and neighborhood responsibility.

• Diversifying the workforce, closing the skills gap

Center for Interim Programs

  • Gap Year Counseling; Over 5,600 Program Opportunities

CHEGG Internships

  • A search tool for local student internships

  • Resources on career building and preparation

College Matchpoint

  • Various services for students coming up into college, such as counseling or with essay writing

  • Focus on careers and picking a suitable major

Global Leadership Adventures

  • Virtual and travel academy and internship programs for students interested in leadership

  • They also offer “multi-programs” for students who want to do multiple things in one area

International Volunteer Headquarters

  • A large roster of volunteer programs around the world for all ages

  • Affordable (as low as $180 for one week w/ accommodations and meals)

Year Out Group

  • Gap year travel hub that also gives advice and inspiration for planning your trips

  • partnered with a lot of gap year abroad programs, such as pacific discovery

Plan My Gap Year

  • All sorts of projects to undertake for students, such as wildlife conservation or even mental health awareness programs

  • Incredibly affordable, due to the fact that all their advertising is done online

Study Abroad 101

  • A study abroad program hub that lets you sort by destination and program length

  • It also shows reviews for each program, so you can make the smartest decision

Summer Discovery

  • A hub full of pre-college summer programs for students in middle and high school

  • Partnered with famous universities like UPENN and UCLA

Teen Life

  • Gap year, after school and summer programs for students grades 7-12

  • Additional guides for students, such as for online learning and career searching

Teen Summer Expos

  • A traveling expo that allows students to meet face to face with program directors

  • They offer programs for the arts, STEM, community service, and for academics, among many other things.


     

Travel & Volunteer Programs for Teens and Young Adults

The following programs offer gap semester, gap year and shorter-term excursions and internship experiences. This list includes national and international opportunities for teens and young adults who wish to travel or obtain meaningful internship experiences.

Adventures Cross Country

  • Gap semesters offer an educational bridge between high school and college. 

  • Gap year programs are 90-day semesters that offer an opportunity to live, work, learn, and explore in different areas of the world

AFS • Intercultural Programs

  • Intercultural and Community Service Programs

Americorps

  • National Network of Community Service Programs

American University

  • Immersive academic experience in Washington, D.C.; Internship and Classroom Experience

Beta Bowl

  • A virtual high school entrepreneurship program

  • “Graduates” are given completion certificates and letters of recommendation directly from the CEO if they do well

CCNY City Art Lab

  • A free arts program for teenagers who want to do something community-based

  • Takes place during spring on on CCNY’s campus

Centenary Studio Summer Camp

  • A summer camp programs for students who are planning on majoring in something specific

  • Offer programs in art, biology, coding & game design, veterinary science, and other things

CIEE

  • 3 different program types and more than 15 global locations, CIEE offers high school graduates a chance for personal growth and fine-tuning their skill sets before college.

  • Encompasses a variety of interests: language and culture, service and leadership, and global internship

City Year

  • City Year; Full-time Service Opportunities in Schools and Communities

Creative Mind Academy

  • A 4 week summer program for students in 11th and 12th grade all over the world

  • The program consists of three college courses at SDSU

Earthwatch

  • Earthwatch Institute; Research, Education, and Conservation Internship Opportunities

Explo

  • A nonprofit formed out of MIT, they create learning experiences for students grades 4-12 and educators

  • They offer programs that deal with a variety of things, to programs that let students concentrate on one subject

Girls Who Code

  • Similar to the last hub, a very large program for women and other gender-diverse people who are interested in engineering

  • They have clubs, college programhars, and summer programs for most ages

Global Citizen Year

  • A 12 week program that allows students 17-21 to hone their skills and meet others of all walks of life from around the world

  • They also offer a 8 month program where students can go and live in a community elsewhere in the world

Global Leadership Adventures

  • Travel and virtual programs for both teens and young adults

  • Fellowships available (honors & arts) for students enrolled in their program

Global Works

  • Summer community service adventure hub for teenagers and tweens

  • Focus on cultural immersion, exposing students to places they would otherwise never be exposed to

Go Abroad

  • Programs for all ages, including researchers

  • You can sort by cause, if there’s anything in particular you want to help with

Go Broadreach

  • Veterinary and marine-based programs for teens interested in those things

  • They also offer professional diving programs

Go Beyond Travel

  • Summer travel programs all over the world for teens

  • Develop language and cultural skills while also getting service hours

Go Overseas

  • A hub for people of all ages, from high school to adults

Habitat for Humanity

  • Habitat for Humanity; World-Wide Volunteer Opportunities

LaunchX

  • A summer program for students interested in launching their own startups

  • This program takes place entirely online

What is a Gap Year?

A Gap Year is a period of time between completing high school and beginning college when a student steps outside the traditional classroom experience. This is a time to explore the world, reflect on their personal values and goals, and prepare to take the next purposeful step in life. Gap Year programs give students an opportunity to expand their perspective and gain direction that give the college years meaning and focus. For many students, Gap Year programs provide them with time to develop independence and confidence as well as pursue various fields of interest.

What are Some Gap Year Options?

  • Volunteering

  • Service Learning

  • Interning

  • Teaching

  • Studying

  • Working

  • Traveling

  • A combination of the above!

STEM for Girls

  • An array of STEM related programs for girls and other gender-diverse teenagers

  • They offer summer programs, as well as day camps

Summer Discovery

  • A hub full of pre-college summer programs for students in middle and high school

  • Partnered with famous universities like UPENN and UCLA

Teach Me Wall Street

  • Summer programs for both middle and high school students interested in finance

  • They offer 1-2 week programs focusing on certain aspects of finance, such as investing or budgeting

United Planet

  • Non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, in over 30 countries

Volunteer Forever

  • A hub full of volunteer, internship, and teaching programs abroad.

  • They make guidebooks for anyone who falls into those three categories.

Where There Be Dragons

  • Programs that aspire to make the student feel immersed in a community elsewhere in the world

  • Summer and gap year programs for students ages 15-22, there are trips for adults 23+, as well

Are You Considering a Gap Semester or Year?

  • Service programs are available locally and throughout the world

  • Gap years are excellent for students who don’t feel sure about what they want to pursue in college or university.

  • Gap years are a time to live outside of the bounds one might be used to living in before settling down and choosing a career path.

  • Gap years help develop important skills in a safer way than hopping right into college, such as self-confidence, resourcefulness, and budgeting.

  • Studies show that students who take a gap year almost always over perform academically in college, and those effects persist the whole four years.

Is Taking a Gap Year Before College a Good Idea?

Gap Year as Part of College Application Portfolio

A Comprehensive Guide for Planning a Gap Year During Covid-19 and Beyond

College Board • What is a Gap Year?

Gap Year Association

  • A membership community for students seeking a meaningful gap year

  • A massive database of resources for anyone seeking the above

The Gap Year Hub

  • Inspiration and advice database for gap years

  • A list of programs one could possibly apply to

Gap Year Fairs

  • A program for students to connect to other students or academics in virtual/in-person events

  • Offers scholarships for gap year programs

Gap Year Solutions

  • Gap Year Solutions offers internships, work, service and travel into a structured Gap year plan.

    EF Gap Year

    • Gap year, Gap semester, and short-term travel programs

Lion’s Heart Service

  • A nonprofit that helps teens find opportunities near them

  • Multiple “chapters” located in each state of the US

NOLS

  • A wilderness expedition program

  • Many programs built around teaching students how to survive in the wild.

Outward Bound

  • Outdoor Leadership Programs

Oyster Worldwide

  • Service projects for gap years or career breaks all over the world, and at all times of the year

  • Interestingly, they offer solo travel programs, some of which are even paid

Pathways to Science

  • STEM related internships for students as young as middle school and as old as graduate school

  • They offer programs from all over the world

Pacific Discovery

  • a worldwide 10-week gap year program with optional 3-week extensions

  • they also offer internships and summer programs for high schoolers

Peacecorps

  • A government-run volunteering hub with locations all over the world

  • Programs with an emphasis on bringing about world peace by exposing others to different cultures.

Projects Abroad

  • A volunteering hub with the unique option to filter what kind of project you want to help work on

  • Has niche project categories, such as archaeology, building, and even food tours

Putney Student Travel

  • A whole assortment of summer travel programs for teens and tweens

  • Specializing in career, exploration, language, or service

Raleigh International

  • Volunteer program focused on making the world a greener place

  • Locations change per year, they go where service is needed

The Road Less Traveled

  • A summer community service hub that specializes in worldwide experience

  • Travel to new places, meaningful service, and stewardship of the natural world

Rustic Pathways

  • Spring and summer programs for anyone aged 12-22, with over 100 different options in 20 countries.

    Offer a “mystery trip” for students who want something entirely left to fate

Smithsonian Student Travel

  • Programs for students 8th through 12th grade who want to have an educational experience elsewhere in the world

  • Different locations have different focus, such as a trip to Washington D.C. with a focus on aerospace and the mars race

SOAR North Carolina

  • Gap year program for young adults aged 18-24 who struggle with ADHD

  • Also offer an academy and camp program