No Passport Needed for These Community Service Trips

Teens who want to travel for community service but can't afford exotic trips can find plenty of opportunities closer to home. Here are three sources for volunteer programs in the United States. Costs range from zero to $1,400 for a two-week program.

· Landmark Volunteers. Work at a Paul Newman camp in Connecticut for kids with life-threatening illnesses, build trails at Big Sur in California, do general maintenance at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyo. These are a few of the opportunities available in the United States through Landmark Volunteers ( http://www.volunteers.com), a nonprofit organization listing volunteer programs for high school students with 58 organizations across the country. Volunteers must be at least 14 1/2 years old or be going into 10th grade. A $750 fee plus airfare is charged for one-week programs that include lodging and meals, and $1,400 plus airfare for two weeks.

· Habitat for Humanity. Youths age 16 and older can work building or repairing homes for the poor in eight Southern states. Volunteers must pay for transportation and food but are given a place to sleep, often on the floor of a church or school. Volunteers are asked to pay between $10 and $200 per week to help buy building supplies; most sites ask for $100. For more information, go to http://www.habitat.org; click "Volunteer," then "Youth Programs," then "Collegiate Challenge."

· AmeriCorps. Best known for long-term programs, this network of national service programs also offers summer volunteer opportunities in cities and rural areas throughout the United States for teenagers 17 and older. Duties include mentoring kids from poor neighborhoods, working in summer camps or homeless shelters and organizing neighborhoods to plant community gardens. Some programs pay a stipend and/or contribute to a college fund. Search by state and by type of activity at http://www.americorps.gov. On the home page under "Join AmeriCorps," click "Advanced Opportunity Search." Under "Service Terms," click "Summer."

-- C.L.