After two years of serving the Texas Children’s community virtually and beyond the walls of the hospital, the next group of high school students selected for the Summer Junior Volunteer Program will soon return to in-person assignments inside our facilities at the Medical Center campus.
Applications are now open for the 2022 summer junior positions, which allow youth aged 15-17 years old to become Texas Children’s volunteers in a variety of placements around the hospital. For a detailed program overview, the application and the required recommendation form, click here.
This year, the junior volunteers will have a hybrid experience – combining unique hands-on activities in a pediatric hospital setting with virtual activities designed to spark fun and meaningful engagement. Students will also meet Texas Children’s team members who are making an impact on the organization.
“We are thrilled to be able to have summer juniors back on site,” said Volunteer Coordinator Valerie Navarro, who leads the program. “Our ultimate goal is to guide and mentor junior volunteers in becoming great stewards in community service.”
The program is both highly competitive and well-loved for the opportunity it provides young people to give back to our patients and their families. Many volunteers are former Texas Children’s patients themselves who serve to show their gratitude for the care they received. Others simply care about the community and want to make children smile.
“What is unique about this program is that you don’t have to have a passion for the medical field, but rather, a passion for helping others,” said Navarro, whose team builds life-long relationships with the students and enjoys seeing them progress through college and beyond.
Some volunteers even make their way back to Texas Children’s as members of our One Amazing Team.
“When the program is over, our hope is the junior volunteers become that much more involved within the community and find what else they’re passionate about,” Navarro said.
