With summer just around the corner, it is an exciting time to think about giving back to the Duneland community through volunteering. Within a short commute, there are countless opportunities for Chesterton High School students to get involved and complete volunteer hours this summer and beyond.
Firstly, the Indiana Dunes National Park has several opportunities to explore. They offer drop-in volunteering that allows students to register based on weather conditions or availability. Volunteer opportunities are available on the third Saturday of the month at Chellberg Farm parking lot (618 N. Mineral Springs Rd) from 9 a.m. to noon. “Lend a hand in our drop-in litter clean up program,” said a representative from Indiana Dunes National Park. “Simply check in at the Visitor Center to receive trash bags, then choose from one of our many beach areas or hiking trails to collect trash.”
Furthermore, the Trash Trekkers provide multiple ways to get involved. Trash Trekkers is a drop-in volunteering program; just stop by the visitor center to receive a trash bag and then pick a beach or hiking trail to collect trash. The best part of the Trash Trekkers program is a free reusable water bottle for filling up a bag of trash. To sign up for drop-in volunteering, visit the website linked here: Drop-In Volunteering – Indiana Dunes National Park (U.S. National Park Service).
For scheduled and ongoing volunteering opportunities, CHS students also have many great options available to engage in. If books and reading are your favorite way to spend free time, consider sharing that passion by supporting the reading mentor program at Westchester Public Library. Based on current 2025 IREAD-3 data, almost one in eight Indiana third-grade students struggle to read at their expected level. Serving as a reading mentor is an incredible way to have a direct impact on the Trojan community. “The Reading Mentor Program offers a safe and welcoming environment where volunteers support young readers in building confidence and improving literacy skills,” according to the Westchester Public Library program description.
For anyone interested in making this meaningful contribution of time, the library asks for a weekly commitment of one hour, one day per week (Monday–Friday between 3:30–5:30 p.m.). To sign up for scheduled volunteering at Westchester Public Library, visit the website linked here: Volunteer – Westchester Public Library.
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Other volunteer opportunities within the Duneland community are currently available at:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana: Volunteer – Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana
- State Park Little League: State Park Little League > Home
- Food Bank of Northwest Indiana: Volunteer – Food Bank of Northwest Indiana
- Duneland Family YMCA: Volunteer – Duneland Family YMCA
