Caring Teen Volunteer Program

Thank you for your interest in the Houston Methodist Hospital Caring Teen Volunteer Program, located in the Texas Medical Center! The information below is ONLY for the Caring Teen Volunteer Program at Houston Methodist Hospital located in the Texas Medical Center.
If interested in volunteering at other Houston Methodist locations, please contact those locations separately, as each hospital has a separate application process. 

 Observing and shadowing opportunities are not offered or permitted through the Houston Methodist Hospital Volunteer Services Department.

The 2026 Summer Caring Teen Program will take place June 8 through July 26, 2026. The application will open February 2, 2026. Applicants must begin the application process by creating a volunteer profile (account) by February 23, 2026. All application components are due by March 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Please see below for the program description, application details, time commitment, and onboarding information.

Program Description:

The Houston Methodist Hospital Caring Teen Volunteer Program provides community youth with opportunities for personal growth and development. Volunteers provide supplemental services in the hospital while gaining personal satisfaction, development, maturity, and the understanding of various health care careers in preparation for their futures. Caring Teens serve others while making new friends, networking with medical professionals at a world-class hospital, developing self-esteem, and creating meaningful memories. Our patients’ lives are deepened through the energy and compassion of our Caring Teen volunteers.

 If you have pre-planned commitments outside of the Caring Teen Program or are uncertain of your summer plans and are unsure if you can commit to the requirements of completing the Caring Teen Program, please email caringteenprogram@houstonmethodist.org before applying to determine if this program is going to be the right fit for you this summer. Each Caring Teen volunteer must meet both requirements for duration and number of hours if they wish to receive full program completion. Any commitment not met may cause the Caring Teen volunteer to not be accepted into the program, removed from the program, or to not be invited to return in the future.

Application Details:
Please click here for the 2026 Summer Houston Methodist Hospital Caring Teen Volunteer Program application. The application will open February 2, 2026 and close March 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Applicants must begin the application process and create a volunteer profile (make an account) by February 23. New applicants will not be able to apply after this date.

This application is ONLY for the Summer Caring Teen Volunteer Program at Houston Methodist Hospital located in the Texas Medical Center. If interested in volunteering at other Houston Methodist locations, please contact those locations separately, as each hospital has a separate application process.

Please Note: When accessing the Caring Teen Volunteer Program application, please use the latest version of Google Chrome web browser to complete the application, as other web browsers may not support this landing page. Also, it is recommended to not complete the application from a mobile phone or tablet. If you are unable to access the application forms, please try logging out and logging back into volunteer portal.

See below for more details regarding the program, expectations, and application process.

Time Commitment

2026 Summer Session: June 8 – July 26 (7 weeks)

Caring Teen volunteers will be scheduled to complete three, 4-hour shifts per week throughout the program, totaling 84 hours. Caring Teen volunteers are required to complete a minimum of 60 hours throughout the duration of the program, allowing Caring Teen volunteers to miss 6 shifts without penalty.  Each Caring Teen volunteer must meet both requirements for duration and number of hours if they wish to receive full program completion. Any commitment not met may cause the Caring Teen volunteer to not be accepted into the program, removed from the program, or to not be invited to return in the future.

Application Process

The 2026 Summer Caring Teen Volunteer application will open February 2, 2026. Applicants must begin the application process and create a volunteer profile (make an account) by February 23. New applicants will not be able to apply after this date. Applicants must submit all application components by the deadline of March 16 at 11:59 p.m. to be considered for the 2026 Summer Caring Teen Volunteer Program.

For the application, Caring Teen volunteers will need to submit: volunteer profile (make an account), preliminary notices, written component (short answer questions), volunteer availability, background history form, volunteer forms (8 forms total), Employee Health Parental Consent form, transcript, and photo ID (school photo ID is accepted). 

After all applications have been reviewed, selected applicants will be notified via email.

Onboarding Information – for selected applicants only

Health Screen: The health screen appointments for the TB skin test and drug test are only available during business hours at the Houston Methodist Hospital Employee Health Clinic: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.* Please note you need to return to the Houston Methodist Hospital Employee Health Clinic 2-3 days later for a TB skin test reading. Please see the section below for more details.

*Additional appointment times may be available at the time of scheduling.

Orientation: All Caring Teen volunteers participating in the 2026 Summer Caring Teen Program must attend a Caring Teen virtual orientation. Caring Teen virtual orientation dates will be scheduled during the pre-screen phone call.

Background Check: Houston Methodist Hospital policy requires a background check on all volunteers. Caring Teen volunteers will be emailed a link to submit required information through Pre-Check with a preliminary acceptance letter.

Start Email: Once all items have been completed, Caring Teen volunteers will receive an official start email with their assignment and schedule.

Assignment Opportunities:
Volunteer assignments for Caring Teens are generally available within clinical department support areas, administrative services, and customer support. Limited assignments are available on the weekends. While we appreciate your interest in specific areas of volunteering, capacity is limited due to the needs of the hospital and the number of Caring Teen volunteers in the program. We will make every attempt to place Caring Teen volunteers in at least one of their areas of interest, but we cannot always accomplish this. Observing and shadowing opportunities are not offered or permitted through the Houston Methodist Hospital Volunteer Services Department.