A $5.3 million project is aiming to help 850 Toronto teens find paid summer jobs. One hundred of those jobs will be with the Toronto police force.

"Wexford Collegiate student Tara Omorogbe, 18, said she sees officers in a new light after doing filing and computer work for the Toronto police last summer as part of the Youth in Police Initiative... Omorogbe said she learned communication skills that applied to her co-op as she works toward a career as a midwife."

The summer job program is part of a large-scale initiative called Youth Opportunities Strategy. When choosing potential work places, Youth Opportunities organizers look for employers that want to offer more than just a job. The ideal employer is interested in mentoring young people as well. Source: TorontoSun.com.

Labels: jobs, police, summer_programs

Professor Anna Mueller at the University of Texas recently confirmed what many teachers and parents have long known or suspected: teens that are under emotional distress can't perform well at school. If one area of a teen's life is causing emotional stress, the other areas of his life will be affected as well. Most parents automatically think "summer school" when a teen is struggling academically, but a wilderness therapy camp can address the root of the problem – emotional distress – so that a teen is better equipped to handle the pressures of life, even after high school is over.

"Instead of learning weather from books, charts, and maps, these teens master weather systems by tracking changes in the wind, temperature, and air pressure... 'Seeing' geology instead of studying it comes as a revelation to most students. They learn to 'read a mountain' by understanding what the rocks and formations in each level mean in terms of the mountain’s history and composition."

A wilderness camp is a world free from distractions like cell phones, television, and the Internet, where a teen can learn valuable life skills.

Read more online.

Labels: failing_in_school, summer_programs, wilderness_therapy

For four years, Becky Shumake has headed up a program called Summer Building Trades. Working in conjunction with The Heart of Texas Workforce Commission, she has given many at-risk teens the chance for a future they may not have otherwise.

"Through the program, teen parents, dropouts, juvenile offenders, homeless youth, and others learn fundamental trade skills that will land them high-demand jobs and – for some – a chance at a college education."

Teens who are interested in the program have to apply and go through an interview process. Their 40-hour work week is spent at non-profit groups and college workshops.

Read more at WacoTrib.com.

Labels: at_risk, summer_programs, workshops