Teens Learning in the Community (TLC) - St. Louis

The Mercy Teens Learning in the Community (TLC) summer volunteer program offers a unique opportunity to combine service and education for volunteers, 16 years and older, interested in pursuing a career in a medical field. The TLC program fosters a commitment to volunteering, offers valuable insight into a variety of health care professions, provides the opportunity to experience multiple areas of the hospital and work as a team to complete a group project designed to improve the care of Mercy patients. Additionally, this experience cultivates a sense of leadership, team-building, and confidence in participants.

TLC volunteers have the opportunity to interact with medical professionals, like doctors, nurses, and therapists, to see firsthand the inner workings of Mercy Hospital St. Louis. The teens also explore non-clinical positions, like administration and marketing, to see what it takes for a hospital to successfully serve patients.  Each day, the teens are invited to a “Lunch and Learn” lecture where guest speakers from around the hospital share information about their jobs at Mercy, their experience in the medical field, and offer advice on how to pursue a medical career.  Lunch and Learn may also include tours of hospital facilities, like an operating room, to show how medical technology and equipment help save lives.

TLC volunteers spend part of each day assisting Mercy staff through voluntary positions. These positions rotate, providing each teen ample time to experience different patient care areas at Mercy. Roles may include working in Pediatrics and Child Life with young patients, passing out lunch trays to bed-bound patients on the Medical Surgical floors, directing patients’ families throughout the hospital, or simply providing a listening ear during a stressful time in a patient's life.  Each day the teens will have a different job, different responsibilities, and a different experience.

TLC runs for 5 weeks, twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for a total of 10 sessions, from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. each day.  We understand that the summer can be a busy time for many teens, butwe ask that all volunteers attend a minimum of 8 sessions. 

To apply for TLC, please complete the TLC Application and TLC Questionnaire.  A letter of recommendation from an educational professional is also required. Once completed, submit the application, questionnaire and letter of recommendation to:

Mercy Hospital
Volunteer Services
615 South New Ballas
Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Applications can also be faxed to (314) 251-7493 or emailed to Lauren [dot] Leemercy [dot] net

For more information about the Mercy TLC program, please call (314) 251-6180.

All applications must be received by April 1, 2012 to be considered for the TLC Program.