10 Things To Do This Summer

Hello there,

If you’re a returning reader: welcome back! It’s great to have you.

If this is your first time stumbling upon our website I’m glad you stopped by! The Safe Communities Task Force blog exists to share helpful resources, tips and other topics related to safety and our community (youth, parents, educators, youth-serving organizations, law enforcement, etc.).

It seems the summer has taken its sweet time to find us! Now that it’s here many youth find themselves with an abundance of free time. If there are young people in your life I believe it’s up to you to partner them to fill that time with something positive and healthy.

There are lots of ways to support youth (or if you are a young person reading this blog, there are ways to support yourself!) in finding what are called “pro-social activities,” or activities that build resilience and improve wellbeing in adolescents.

I remember when I was young, my Aunt would always cut out newspaper clippings of volunteer opportunities to try and get me involved. At the time, I found this a bit obnoxious but looking back I’m grateful for her interest. Although newspaper clippings are a bit behind the times, I’ve put together a list of things you can recommend for ways to take advantage of summer.

Click the + signs on the right for an explanation of each tip.

Learn a new skill

Summer break is the perfect time to pick up a new skill, like playing the guitar or perfecting a jump-shot. Talk to your kid about how cool it would be to return to school and surprise everyone with their new talent.

Learn a new skill with a friend

Working with a friend to learn something new helps build motivation and keep people feeling accountable for making progress. Bonding over activities builds connection fast (especially for young men) and is a great way to break the ice with someone your kid may know somewhat but would like to become better friends with.

Check out stores like Lowes, Home Depot or Pottery Barn that offer free workshops. Clark College and WSU Vancouver both offer free educational workshops as well.

Join a recreational Sports Team

There are lots of summer sports leagues in Clark County that are free or low-cost to join (start with a simple Google search). Consider soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, volleyball and more. Joining a rec team is a great way to meet new people without the stress of extreme competition or being the best person on the team.

Physical activity helps our brains produce chemicals that make us happy and being on a consistent team helps build important life skills in like conflict management, giving/receiving feedback and setting goals. 

Redecorate your bedroom

When summer hits there’s a feeling of newness and possibility that sweeps over middle and high schoolers. They think about “Who do I want to be next year?” and “How do I want to be seen?”

There’s a bit of an identity shift that takes place over summer break and cleaning out and redecorating a bedroom can be symbolic in helping youth discover and sculpt their identity.

While they’re at it, remind them to consider donating things they don’t need.

Reptiles & Explosions at the Library- No jokE!

From June 8th- August 12th the Fort Vancouver Regional Library is offering reptile exhibits called “Creature Features” where you’ll get close up experiences with various reptiles. They are also offering educational “Creature Teacher” workshops on the wonderful species.

Click here for a list of Creature Feature events. The library is also offering explosive chemical reaction demonstrations that are sure to excite!

They are also offering "Explosion Inc." events where they produce excitingly explosive chemical reaction demonstrations.

Click here for a list of explosion events.

Spend time in nature

Sometimes it’s nice to get away from the hustle and clear your mind in nature. Youth have described the feeling of being in nature as, “Peaceful, free, calm, adventurous, alive…”

Clark County maintains a number of beautiful parks that are accessible to youth and families. There are parks offering space to be alone and others designed for togetherness.

Click here to find a park near you using a user-friendly mapping system. This mapping system is also found on the Apple and Android mobile app store under "Clark County Parks & Trails." 

Go to the movies

Regal Cinema offers $5 movies on Sundays and Tuesdays at multiple locations in Clark County (No, they did not sponsor this post!)(If you are from Regal Cinema feel free to email us about sponsoring this post). There are also theaters that run $3 screenings.

Volunteer

It’s common for youth to feel a bit isolated during the summer, especially if their friends travel or go out of town. An excellent way to feel seen and valued is to volunteer. Community programs greatly appreciate the help and it makes you feel good at the same time.

Click here for more information on volunteer opportunities within Clark County or see the list below:

One Time Volunteer Opportunities

• Trail Maintenance
• Park Maintenance
• Garden Maintenance
• Invasive Plant Removal
• Litter Pickup
• Leaf Cleanup  
• Parks Photography
• Vegetation Management
• Public Health, Environmental Opportunities
• Public Works Events
• Juvenile Court Volunteers
• Other Public Works Opportunities

Membership/Commitment Volunteer Opportunities

• Adopt a Park
• Adopt a Road
• Annual Trail User Counts
• Park Host
• Emergency Response Volunteers
• Damage Assessment Team 
• Citizens Academy
• Sheriff Explorers
• Neighbors Watch
• Sheriff Reserve Unit
• Seniors and Law Enforcement Together
• Santa’s Posse
• Are U SAR? (Search & Rescue)
• Youth Commission
• Community Mobilization
• Teen Talk
• Safe Communities Task Force

Make a professional Twitter account

...specifically for following community groups. Following community groups is an excellent way to find new events and fun things happening in your community: schools, colleges, museums, City of Vancouver or Clark County profiles, non-profits, news reporters, etc.

If your youth is already on Twitter, it only takes about 30 seconds to make a second one. Once they’ve got it set up, anytime they want to find an event or workshop in the community they just have to flip over to the new account. In addition, this is a great space to build their resume- employers will want to know that youth can conduct themselves professionally online.

A few good places to start that our staff manage are www.Twitter.com/sctfcc (that's us), www.Twitter.com/clarkcountygo and lastly www.Twitter.com/teentalktalk.

Start a Journal

Journaling before bed or first thing in the morning is a self-care technique helping people discover more about themselves and reflect on their wellbeing. Some people like getting pre-made journals that have prompts and guided writing assignments. Others prefer blank notebook that they can fill as they please.

Buying your youth a journal is a thoughtful and special gift. Below I listed a few prompts off the top of my head to get you started.

1. Write about a time when you tried something new.
2. What is something you like about yourself? Dig deep!
3. What is one good thing you aim to do today?
4. What would it be like if you could control your dreams while sleeping?
5. If you could accomplish one thing next year, what would it be? The sky is the limit.
6. What is something you wish people/more people knew about you?
7. What kind of activities bring you joy?
8. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and where would you go to eat?
9. Do you find it satisfying when your favorite TV series ends or is it a sad experience? Why?
   
10. If you could wake up tomorrow with a brand new talent, what would it be?

Whatever you end up recommending to your youth remember that it is up to them to seize the opportunity. Our goal at the SCTF is to empower youth with choice and information. Youth need some freedom in deciding how they want to spend their time.

Do you have a favorite summertime activity you’d like to share? Post it in the comments section! We love hearing from our community members.

Sending my best,

Christopher Belisle at SCTF