Among the most valuable activities for young people during the summer is volunteering. There is no doubt that engaging in volunteer work contributes significantly to their overall development by fostering social, emotional, and mental growth.
It provides opportunities to develop essential life skills, strengthen empathy, build self-confidence, and cultivate a sense of responsibility and community engagement, making it a meaningful and enriching use of the summer break.
Structured volunteering programmes have been shown to enhance university students’ knowledge, attitudes, and volunteering practices. In their study, Saleh et al (2025) further highlight the importance of encouraging student participation in volunteer activities by increasing their awareness and providing opportunities for practical engagement.
Based on these results, the authors recommend integrating structured volunteer training into extracurricular activities within higher education institutions in Oman and similar contexts.
They also argue that promoting volunteerism among university students can make a meaningful contribution to sustainable development by fostering civic responsibility, community engagement, and active citizenship.
According to Eglitis et al (2025), evidence from a systematic review of 26 studies involving 6,812 participants indicates that summer programmes have the potential to promote the mental, social, emotional, and cognitive development of children and adolescents. The review categorised outcomes into mental health (including psychological well-being, anxiety, depression, distress, and self-perception, such as self-esteem and confidence), social–emotional well-being (including communication, empathy, conflict resolution, and social skills), and cognitive functioning (such as memory, attention, and executive function), alongside additional outcomes related to substance use, personality traits, and values.
Although the meta-analytic results showed only small or statistically non-significant effects on anxiety, depression, psychological distress, self-esteem, and self-worth, the narrative findings consistently indicated positive trends in mental health, self-perception, social–emotional skills, and cognition.
In addition to these psychological and developmental outcomes, broader literature highlights that structured summer programmes and youth camps can also support academic achievement by reducing excessive technology use during the summer period and improving performance in subjects such as mathematics, reading, and science, ultimately contributing to higher grade point averages (GPAs) compared with non-participants.
Furthermore, evaluation studies report improvements in social and emotional development, including increased prosocial behaviour, self-confidence, and cooperativeness, alongside reductions in aggressive behaviour, behavioural problems, and disciplinary issues.
Collectively, these findings suggest that engagement in structured summer activities may not only support personal development but also contribute to broader social benefits, including improved cooperation, reduced negative behaviours, and enhanced community participation.
To conclude, although school holidays provide a necessary break for students and families from academic demands, extended time away from school can also reduce access to structured support systems, which may negatively affect children’s mental health.
Research indicates that during long summer breaks, some children may experience loneliness, boredom, and feelings of emptiness. Furthermore, negative peer interactions during this period have been associated with increased antisocial behaviours such as bullying and victimisation, while reduced social contact may also lead to lower engagement in physical activity.
Within this context, structured activities such as volunteering can play a protective role by maintaining social connections, strengthening positive behaviours, and supporting the development of valuable skills and competencies that benefit both individuals and the wider community. Similarly, Eglitis et al (2024) emphasise the role of structured summer programmes in promoting mental, social, emotional, and cognitive development among children and adolescents.
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