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Summer Youth 2009
As a part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board received additional Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds to implement a Summer Youth Employment Program. With those funds, youth ages 16-24 could receive a paid work experience to gain work readiness skills relating to their career pathway.
The Summer Youth Program ran from mid-June to late August and included classroom learning as well as work experiences at approved work sites. Youth were able to work in a variety of entry-level job settings, including governmental agencies, health care, non-profits, small businesses and retail organizations. Special consideration was given to activities that exposed youth to ‘green’ education and career pathways.
Meet our Summer Youth!
| Read the full stories: ARRA Summer Youth Success Booklet (PDF) | |
WAUNITA USES NURSING HOME EXPERIENCE TO FURTHER CAREER GOALS |
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Waunita helped her grandparents when they were in a nursing home. That experience led her to pursue a career in the health care field. Her experiences at the New Glarus Nursing Home helped her to better understand the needs and desires of both the clients and staff. |
BENTON HIGH STUDENTS HELPED MAINTAIN THE BUILDING THEY’RE USING |
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Two Benton High School students worked hard to help maintain the building they’ve used to further their education. Students Megan and Laura cleaned, conducted minor repairs, painted and worked outdoors on landscaping for the Benton School District. |
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CITY OF SHULLSBURG ‘SUPPORTED’ BY ARRA WORKERS |
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Three Summer Youth Employment Program workers helped to "support" the City of Shullsburg this past summer in more ways than one. Oh sure, they engaged in the normal types of maintenance duties—cutting grass, fixing and maintaining the parks along with similar duties, but they also helped to reinforce the supports in the mine museum, learning how to pour and utilize concrete. |
“Money is tight around here, and these kids provided much needed relief,” said their supervisor Scott Mayte. "The program has worked out great for the city. The kids worked well independently and were very hard workers.” |
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| RICHLAND CENTER PROFITS FROM ARRA WORKERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS | |
Whether it’s working with young kids or making sure the grounds on which those children are having fun are well-maintained and safe, three WIA workers utilized ARRA funding to help Richland Center families enjoy the city’s amenities. Jeff, who is 21, finished a technical diploma at Southwest Tech; but this was his only income for the summer. “It provided me with the money I needed to get by. Without it, I don’t know what I would have done,” he said. |
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Greg, who is 22, said he’d be without a job and looking for work if not for the Summer Youth Employment Program. The money he made went toward his educational expenses. Charles, 19, is currently working on his GED. He has a daughter, and this was his only job, using the money to support his daughter and her mother. |
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ENERGY TEAM ASSISTS BELOIT RESIDENTS |
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While having a job to help pay the bills is important to those working on the Energy Audit Team in Beloit, helping persons in the community to save money by teaching conservation efforts has also had a major impact on the workers in the program. “I like this job a lot because it allowed me to help my community,” said 19-year-old Nate. |
Jerry, age 18, echoed Castro’s thoughts, but felt it would have been even more effective if it went full-time. “Educating the public is the most important aspect of what we do,” he said, “but if it was full-time, we would have been able to educate more people about energy conservation.” Sharome, 23, said, “It’s great learning about energy conservation and turning it into something positive for the community.” Luis, 24, is not only in the program but he was the supervisor for the Energy Audit Team, displaying excellent leadership skills. |
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