Help!! High School activities.

[lili]

Ideas please...

We recently moved 8 states away with our ninth grader. She now has no friends, etc. She is beginning to pull away and stay to herself. I wanted to know if you all could pitch some community involvement or activity ideas for a high schooler?

As much as I do not want to I am considering allowing her to do Virtual school just for the interaction with others her age in the area.

[FloridaLisa]

My teen's primary outside activities include our church youth group and choir, sports (through a local private school and our county) and debate/speech. It is hard to connect when you move to a new area. We moved here 4 years ago so I feel your (her) pain. Joining a local speech and debate club was a saving grace. Additionally, I was very purposeful to try to find other homeschooled families.

I would highly recommend that you contact local support groups, your library or co-ops to find out what is available for home educated teens.

There was also a recent thread on extracurricular activities that had tons of ideas.

HTH,
Lisa

[Gwen in VA]

I can really relate to your issue -- We have lived for the past five years in an area where we have not found a great homeschool group for older kids, and we don't want to participate in the local coop. So what to do?

I strongly second speech and debate. It is an incredibly social activity!

1) "Official" activities -- scouts, Civil Air Patrol, Sea Cadets, Venture Scouts (which is open to girls)

2) "Official" homeschooling activities -- these are the ones you have to sign up for and probably pay money for, such as ballroom dance (some areas have Christian groups that do this), debate, and homeschool sports leagues.

3) 'Unofficial" homeschooling activities -- try to at least go to a few meetings of any and all local homeschool groups. I understand if none work out -- we haven't belonged to a homeschool group for years -- but the contacts we made from belonging to a group for a year or two when we first moved in have been very helpful.

4) "Unofficial" non-homeschooling activities -- sometimes teens don't need other teens; they need interests and interaction with other people in general. Volunteering at museums or a local health clinic or a local park can provide social interaction without some of the negatives of the teen scene. (My kids are heavily heavily involved in volunteering at a local museum and through this have gained some great skills and have developed some good friendships with adults.)

Best wishes -- moving to a new area as a homeschool family with older kids can be difficult!

[transientChris]

:iagree:
and I would add something else. She can not ony join Venture Scouts, she could join Explorer scouts if they have one in a field she is interested.

My dd joined youth group, youth praise band, homeschool teen group, volunteers at the library, and sings with the adult choir. Soon she will have to do this again since we are moving in less than two months so I feel your pain. Volunteering is a great way to join something fast.

[Lori D.]

- music: community junior strings; or join a local private or public school band
- drama: Christian Youth Theater or other local youth theater program
- art: community youth art class that meets after school or on weekends
- bowling: after school league
- parks & rec class for teens (pottery, jewelry making, dance, martial arts, etc.)
- google search for a local homeschool group: co-op; student council; monthly youth activities; field trips
- church: youth group; host a weekly "teen girl activity night" to bake, make jewelry, scrapbook, quilt, do hand crafts, etc.
- 4-H (it's not just animals!)
- history: history recreation group
- animals: train a handi-dog as part of a handi-dog group; take riding lessons as part of a teen group
- sports: join a private or public school team of swimming, tennis, softball, flag football, track & field, etc.
- volunteer: work at the local library after school as a teen mentor/tutor
- join a high school group: Youth & Government (mock legislators); Communicators for Christ or National Forensic League (public speaking/debate clubs); DECA (business/career prep)

[laughing lioness]

have you thougth about TeenPact (www.teenpact.com (http://www.teenpact.com)). She'll meet other teens from around your state and there are very cool alumni events. Can she get politically invovled? My 18 yo dd is interning for someone running for state leg and has been able to participate in some fun dinners,etc.
I have organized drama camps and my kids have participated in a yearly One Act Play Festival each Jan- which they love.
My 18 organized a girls get2gether last year. They met weekly at a coffee shop and then had 2 formal teas (one at Xmas, one in the spring). The girls loved it.
I feel your pain- btdt:grouphug:

[mrscopterdoc]

WE just went through this/are going through this and since we just moved 4 months ago and will move again by May, we shall go through this again.:sad:

DD got into playing sports, and volunteered at the sports center. I lucked out and found a friend from a yahoo group before we even moved here and her kids took mine to church and eased her in that way.

[Rosie_0801]

The SCA is another club to check out. Being a world-wide organisation, but having begun in the US, means you've got somewhere to belong when you move house again...
Rosie

[Anna]

My teen's primary outside activities include our church youth group and choir, sports (through a local private school and our county) and debate/speech. It is hard to connect when you move to a new area. We moved here 4 years ago so I feel your (her) pain. Joining a local speech and debate club was a saving grace.

Lisa almost perfectly described my dd#2 during the last 4 years when she was a high school student. She's in choir, in debate/speech and this year is VP of church youth group... but not in sports. We also moved here 4 years ago. Now this dd is full-time community college.

[Jane in NC]

I'll second 4-H. New kids (new blood) welcomed with open arms. Great opportunities for teens to develop leadership skills while providing a social outlet.

We love 4-H!