events

As a teen who wanted to spend her summers and free time volunteering for local organizations, Simone Bernstein found the most difficult part was locating volunteer opportunities for teens her age. From the age of 12 she spent time volunteering at her local library and The Magic House, and as she got older, the St. Louis Crisis Nursery and local hospitals. But she had to devote a significant amount of her time to approaching local organizations to ask them what volunteer opportunities were available. She decided that as her next project, she’d make finding volunteer opportunities easier for her and others her age.

“I was surprised at how few resources were available to search for local youth volunteer opportunities,” said Bernstein, a student at Clayton High School. “There are national Web sites that are geared toward ages 18 and older, but I could not find a local Web site for youth.”

So Bernstein launched www.stlouisvolunteen.com last year. The site lists volunteer opportunities for teens and tweens (and even some for adults) at more than 40 local organizations.

Bring your preschool-age children to see the Missouri History Museum’s The 1904 World’s Fair exhibit and participate in hands-on activities, including crafts, dress-up and more that incorporate touch, movement, smell, sound and art. Parent and Me Programs are held at the Missouri History Museum each Friday in April from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are $7 per class ($5 per class for members), or $20 for the four-class series per family ($15 for members). Activities are appropriate for children ages 2-5.

Looking for a way to get some exercise with your baby or toddler while enjoying the great outdoors? Check out Strollerobics classes at the Missouri Botanical Garden from April 6 through May 28.

Five of St. Louis’ top cultural institutions – the Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and Saint Louis Zoo – will join together on Saturday, April 17, to observe “Des Lee Day” in honor of St. Louis philanthropist E. Desmond Lee, who died earlier this year at age 92.