Welcome to UCHealth's Summer Teen Volunteer Program. An adventure awaits!

Spend your summer at the #1 Hospital in Colorado!  Apply for our Summer Teen Volunteer Program. Take learning sessions; lectures and hands-on learning to help explore different career possibilities including medicine, nursing, pathology, mental health, pharmacy and more. Volunteer with patients, families and staff to learn leadership, teamwork, communication and customer service skills. Volunteer in patient-facing roles in inpatient units, physical therapy, radiology and other clinical areas. Make a difference. Help someone. Learn about healthcare. Make this summer count!   

Applicants will be entering their junior or senior year of high school, have a 3.4 GPA or higher, and be 16 years of age by the first day of the program. The ideal candidate is someone who has a serious interest in pursuing a future career in healthcare and can commit to the summer schedule. Candidates for our competitive program must be mature, reliable, self-directed, motivated and able to work independently. 

The application, essays, and letters of recommendation will make up the elements considered in the decision rubric. There are a limited number of placements for the Summer Teen Volunteer Program. An application does not guarantee placement in the program. Completed applications are due April 5th by 5:00 pm. No late applications will be accepted.

Details about the teen volunteer program:

  • The 8-week Summer Teen Volunteer Program begins Monday, June 10th and ends Friday, August 2nd.
  • Participants will be scheduled for two, 4-hour volunteer shifts. Morning shifts are 8:00am - 12:00pm, and afternoons 12:30pm - 4:30pm. Shifts are scheduled for the same day and time, each week.  There are no evening or weekend shifts. 
  • Participants will attend learning sessions at which healthcare experts (doctors, nurses, medical technicians, etc.) will offer lecture and hands-on learning.  They may have lunch with a neurosurgeon, go inside the Mobile Stroke Unit, or learn compounding at the school of pharmacy.  They may even practice skills on mechanical robots in our simulation lab.  Participants will attend a minimum of 4 education sessions.
  • Once accepted, participants will complete required online education modules and training. They will complete a health screen prior to orientation.  They will attend an in-person orientation on either Thursday afternoon, June 6th Saturday morning, June 8th.
  • Adjustments for planned summer vacations or other planned events, will be handled through Anne and Amanda.  Participants should plan to miss no more than 2 scheduled volunteer shifts over the summer. 
  • Summer teens will be given a red polo shirt and will follow the UCHealth dress code.

Questions? Call the Volunteer Services office at 720.848.1886 or send an email to uchvolunteerservices@uchealth.org. 

Completed applications will include:

1. Application form filled out online with electronic signature of applicant

2. Photo "selfie." Uploaded photo of your face showing top of your head down to your shoulders. We will keep this photo in your volunteer file and use it to prepare for your start in a clinical unit.

3. Completed 500-600 word essay: "Everything in healthcare requires teamwork. What skills, experiences and interests do you bring to the team and how will your participation benefit our patients?"  

Important: Please have your essay questions written before beginning your application.

4. Parent/guardian consent form.

5. Two letters of recommendation: One recommendation must be from a counselor at your school. The second recommendation may be from a teacher, minister, employer, previous supervisor or adult friend. We can accept written letters and other recommendation forms, but we highly recommend using our form to ensure areas critical to our process are covered. (If your school does not allow recommendations to be given back to students they may be emailed directly to uchvolunteerservices@uchealth.org, and place an image of a note indicating whom we should expect an email from for the uploaded file). Recommendations are due in time for students to upload them with the application by 5:00pm April 5, 2024.

Once your completed online application is received, Volunteer Services will review your submission. Several reviewers will assess and rank applications. Students who are accepted into this program will receive notification in an email along with other instructions on or before April 26, 2024.  Submission of an application does not guarantee participation in this competitive program. 

Please provide an email that we can use to communicate with you during the summer, preferably a non-school email. We recommend setting up a straightforward, non-school email (i.e. johnsmith1234@gmail.com) if you do not have one. It is good to have this ready for college applications and scholarships.

Forms:

Download these forms BEFORE filling out the application.You will be uploading the completed forms at the bottom of the application form before you can submit.

1. Summer Volunteer Parent/Legal Guardian Consent form. Please click here to download.

2. 1st Letter of Recommendation form for school counselor. Please click here to download.

3. 2nd Letter of Recommendation form. Please click here to download.

By checking this box, I confirm that I can commit to completing at least 48 hours of volunteer service and 4 education sessions during weekday, daytime hours if selected for this program.
Emergency Contact Information:


Essay
(Please complete this essay in full before pressing SUBMIT button. 500-600 words)

 "Everything in healthcare requires teamwork. What skills, experiences and interests do you bring to the team and how will your participation benefit our patients?"  


Teen E-Signature
I verify that the information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I authorize UCHealth -Metro Denver and its agents to confirm all information provided on the application.

PHOTO CONSENT: This is to certify that I give permission to UCHealth to use my image for news media, marketing, public relations, and/or hospital business purposes.