Teen Volunteers
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Volunteen Program
Who: Teens must be 14 and in high school
What: Volunteens work in many areas, including the information desk, gift shop, sibling clubhouse, clinic waiting rooms, and in office settings.
When: Assignments will be same day/same time each week, typically 2-3 hours.
Where: Primarily at the main campus; however, there are some opportunities at the Close to Home locations.
Cost: Volunteer polo shirt is $20, plus tax. Volunteens also are required to wear khaki pants, knee-length skirt, or capri’s, and closed-toe shoes.
Application: The summer volunteen program is open for application. Download the Summer Volunteen Application to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions about being a Volunteen at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
If you have additional questions, we will be happy to answer them. We encourage applicants and Volunteens to take the initiative to communicate with us!
Email: Volunteering@NationwideChildrens.org
Phone: (614) 722-3635
Fax: (614) 722-3641
If I apply, am I automatically accepted?
The teen program continues to grow each year! We try as best as we can to match as many teens with volunteer positions as possible, but due to the high number of applicants, it is not be possible to find a match for everyone. Opportunities on weekends are limited.
When should I apply?
We have changed our application deadline for the summer program, so please note the new date. We cannot accept late applications.
Summer teen program application deadline: April 1
School-year teen program application deadline: Sept 15
Applications are date-stamped in the order they are received. Interview session seats are limited, so preference will be given to applicants who apply earlier.
What are the steps to become a Volunteen?
- Download and print the application and information
- Complete the application
- Have 2 people who are not family members complete the references
- Have your parent read and sign the parent letter
- Attend an Interview session and parent info meeting
All volunteers must attend a general hospital orientation and training in their area.
Our teen volunteers must be interested and enthusiastic about what they are doing. It is important to be independent and comfortable talking to children and adults. There are many rules regarding infection control, confidentiality, and interacting with children and families—it is important to pay attention to this information and follow these regulations. Hospital staff expects a teen volunteer to follow directions and demonstrate maturity and respect.
Our volunteers are given an assignment on the same day and same time each week, for example, Wednesdays 1-4 p.m. Typically, volunteers are here 2-3 hours each week. The staff relies on volunteers, so if you are going to miss more than 2 weeks in the summer, this may not be the right time to apply. For school-year applicants, we do have some flexibility for those involved in fall or spring sports or band or other activities.
Most of the available assignments are on the main hospital campus. We do have a few assignments at the Dublin, Westerville, or East Broad Close to Homes. We look for applicants who are interested in the assignment, not just the location.
