We Support Your School
YouthForce leverages teens’ interest in employment to guide and motivate academic achievement.
- All student applicants are asked for academic, elective and extracurricular achievements on all applications - demonstrating the strong link between school performance and employment.
- Internships increase the effectiveness and relevance of instructional services for students
- Students that have applied to specific internships based on their academic and career goals are hired by internship employers when they are best able to demonstrate that they are:
- motivated by the career and mentoring experiences,
- able to achieve the employer goals and will learn from the experience,
- able to get to work on time and home safely.
- Due to supply and demand issues, the positions are very competitive. Academic achievement is the primary qualification for internships. As a result, students are introduced to the competitive processes of applying for colleges or future employment.
- All students complete an internship curriculum reinforcing academic relevance, future goal setting and mentorship development.
- All positions are limited to 15 hours a week (most during the afternoon hours of 3-5pm) allowing students to continue their academic achievement and personal development.
- Students are educated on the parallels between achievement in school and work
- Demonstrated success in attendance, participation, daily work and projects
- Encouraging students to engage in extracurricular, club and volunteer experiences
- All student applicants receive counseling and recommendations for future goal setting for school.
YouthForce works to eliminate the achievement gap:
YouthForce works with school partners to identify and recruit students whose families and communities cannot offer access to professional mentors and work experiences.
- 78% of YouthForce interns are students of color,
- 80% live in lower socio-economic families,
- 74% live in South Seattle Neighborhoods.
- Students receive on average 400 hours of mentored, paid employment per internship.
- Internships average 30 weeks and provide meaningful, mentored, and paid after school experience.
- We demonstrate for low income and minority teens can access professional experiences despite the lack of family contacts.
- YouthForce recognizes that early employment experiences can launch long term career goals
- Our interns provide positive role models for their peers, schools and fellow students.
- YouthForce trainings educate teens on the employment process, it’s rigors and correlation to school and community activities.