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.
The 2025 Fall Caring Teen Program will be September 22 - November 23, 2025. The application will be open June 17, 2025 and close July 13, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Please see below for the program description, application details, time commitment, and onboarding requirements.
Observing and shadowing opportunities are not offered or permitted through the Houston Methodist Hospital Volunteer Services Department.
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 and you are unsure if you can commit to the requirements of completing the Caring Teen Program, please contact us at caringteenprogram@houstonmethodist.org before applying to determine if this program is going to be the right fit for you. Each teen must meet both requirements for duration and number of hours if they wish to receive full program completion.
Application Details:
Please click here to apply for the 2025 Fall Caring Teen Volunteer Program at Houston Methodist Hospital located in the Texas Medical Center. The application will open June 16, 2025 and close July 13, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Applicants must submit all application components by the deadline of July 13, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. to be considered for the 2025 Fall Caring Teen Volunteer Program.
For the application, teens will need to submit: volunteer profile (create an account), preliminary notices, written component (short answer questions), volunteer availability, background history form, volunteer forms (8 forms total), Employee Health Parental Consent form, your transcript, and your photo ID.
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.
Time Commitment
The 2025 Fall Caring Teen Program will be September 22 – November 23, 2025.
Caring Teen volunteers will be scheduled to complete one 4-hour shift per week throughout the program, totaling 36 hours. Caring Teen volunteers are required to complete a minimum of 28 hours throughout the duration of the program, allowing volunteers to miss 2 shifts without penalty. Each teen 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.
Onboarding Requirements
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 located in the Josie Roberts Administration Building. Appointments are typically available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 7 a.m. - 4 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 time of scheduling.
Orientation: All volunteers must attend a Caring Teen volunteer virtual orientation. Your volunteer orientation date will be scheduled during your pre-screen phone call.
Background Check: Houston Methodist Hospital policy requires a background check on all volunteers. You will be emailed a link to submit your information through Pre-Check with your 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 Teens in the program. We will make every attempt to place Caring Teens 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.