2009 SUMMER YOUTH INITIATIVE SET TO CONNECT GENESEE COUNTY TEENS WITH SKILLS, OPPORTUNITIES

(FLINT, MICHIGAN, MAY 12, 2009)  Over 400 Genesee County teens this summer will learn job and leadership skills, find employment, and participate in community service opportunities, thanks to local support for the 2009 Summer Youth Initiative (SYI). 

The Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates the SYI, announced at a news conference this morning that over $800,000 in combined grants from local funders have been made for the 2009 program.

That support includes a one-year, $775,000 grant to the Genesee Area Focus Fund by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; $5,000 from the Veit Youth Charitable Trust administered by Citizens Bank Wealth Management, N.A.; and $1,000 from Zonta Club of Flint 1. The Community Foundation of Greater Flint’s Community Impact Fund will provide $30,000 to support wages for participating teens, while Baker College of Flint’s WIA Younger Youth program will help fund TeenQuest activities and summer employment opportunities.

TeenQuest is a free afterschool program—offered at multiple sites across the county—that teaches pre-employment and leadership skills to area youth ages 14 to 18, in grades 9th through 12th grades. Teens who successfully complete TeenQuest are eligible to participate in the SYI.

Rhetta Hunyady, Regional Chamber Group Vice President, Operations and Employer Education & Training Connection noted that the SYI not only helps teens secure employment, but allows them to explore various career avenues and enhance the skills they need to grow into good employees and society leaders. This is the 14th year for the SYI program and Hunyady said that participation continues to grow annually.

“SYI is a great program that thrives because of the support of the many funders,” she said. “Their generous grants and participation play a key role in providing opportunities for teens to gain a variety of work experience, and emphasizes to teens the significant role they personally play in the community.”
Participating youth will interview with local agencies at an upcoming SYI Job Fair. Potential jobs include supplying food to community members in need, providing recreational and educational programs to local children and families, and helping to revitalize neighborhoods through community beautification and urban garden projects. As part of the SYI program, teens will also volunteer for at least one community-service project.

Through the grants, wages for teens employed at nonprofit organizations are covered in full. And for the second consecutive year, the Regional Chamber has expanded the employment opportunity to for-profit agencies through a dollar-for-dollar salary match.
Local agencies, organizations and groups participating in the 2009 SYI are:

• Beecher Community Schools
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint
• Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee Counties
• Center Academy
• Christ Enrichment Center
• Concerned Pastors for Social Action
• El Ballet Folklorico Estudiantil
• Flint Coalition for Youth Baseball
• Flint Community Schools
• Flint Public Library
• Food Bank of Eastern Michigan
• Genesee Area Skill Center’s Technology Center
• Genesee County Community Action Resource Department
• Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan
• Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan, Inc.
• Mott Community College
• The Salvation Army
• Youth Karate-Ka Association

Read the articles from The Flint Journal.