High School Summer Programs

Summer Mentor Internship Program. SOH selects 25-30 high school students to serve as mentors to the younger children. Many of the mentors return for a second or third summer.

Each morning, the Director of the HS Program holds leadership development seminars to provide a forum for discussion on positive ways of working with children.  For the rest of the day, the mentors play a significant role in the management of the program. Under adult supervision, the two mentors assigned to each class bring their children to the lunchroom, participate in sports with their group, and work in afternoon academic classes. The majority of mentors are SOH alumni who benefit from working in a meaningful summer job that provides training and community service credit. As a result of their participation in the program, mentors increase their ability to handle problems, improve their communication and critical thinking skills, and develop greater confidence. The children love their mentors, as one parent noted in a survey:

Mentor and students

“The teenage mentors are most valuable to our family this summer. During the picnic, I was most impressed with how exceptional in attitude, kindness, and thoughtfulness these teens were. Our daughter talks mostly about her mentors. To have her see, interact and model after mature teens with such strong character is an invaluable gift. Thank you!”