<p>Hi, I hope everyone is having a good summer!</p>
<p>As for me, well, I’m in sort of a muddle… it’s July 16th and I still haven’t got my activities organized.</p>
<p>I’m going to a Red Cross program 4 hrs/week, radio station 6 hrs/week, and SAT prep 3-4 hrs/week. Meanwhile, I’m trying to find mentors for a research project but so far, no luck at all. Either I don’t get a response or the responses I do get can pretty much be summed up like so: “I don’t have space” or “No internship opportunities.” </p>
<p>I’m losing hope quickly and wondering if the amazing people on CC can give me some superb advice. I feel like my summer activities aren’t enough; the Red Cross program isn’t even volunteering at all - it’s a course on laws, and I was looking forward to volunteering. So it looks pretty bad and I know that if I ask for more opportunities, the director will say, “Join your Red Cross club at school.” In all honesty, that club does NOTHING except cater to kids only in it for school credits, and it’s frustrating. </p>
<p>As for the research dilemma, I’m trying to focus on math, but I’m open to interdisciplinary work. It just seems that no matter how many people I email, I’ll never find a mentor and if I don’t find one very soon, I’ll be dropped from my school research program and there goes my plans. I’m really panicking and honestly hope someone can help me out!!</p>
<p>Is there a teacher or someone at your school who is responsible for the science research program? You should reach out to that person immediately and ask them for advice on finding a science mentor. Go over what you have done so far (what your topic is, who you have contacted) and ask their advice. Should you change your topic? Do they have other suggestions for who you could approach? Maybe they have a personal contact who could help you.</p>
<p>You should ask at the Red Cross about opportunities. Don’t assume you know what the answer is until you have done that. Remind the director that the Red Cross school isn’t active in the summer (I assume it isn’t), and ask if there is anything at all you can do to help out over the summer (data entry, manning the desk where volunteers sign in, making phone calls, whatever). You could offer to be “on call” if another volunteer doesn’t show up and they need a substitute. </p>
<p>If all that fails, I guess I would say look for other volunteer activities. Maybe a local food shelf? It seems a little late to look into volunteering at kids summer programs (a lot of them are already halfway through the summer). Look in the phone book for other non-profits you could get to that do work that sounds interesting, and call to see if they need volunteers.</p>
<p>Intparent, thank you so much for your advice. There is a director of the program, but so far, unfortunately, it’s been more about people choosing whether or not to respond than it’s been about my director’s tips. I try to follow up my emails by politely asking if a researcher knows anyone available to help me, but no give. </p>
<p>And you’re right; I should ask about ARC, but I think I’ll opt for another activity because I don’t have much faith in my current one.</p>