Juniors in the Mission’s Journey program are receiving a hands-on experience in job exploration and event planning through their participation in the Washington County Youth Leadership Challenge (WCYLC). WCYLC, which is facilitated by Rural Aspirations with support from Healthy Acadia, gives students a chance to identify a community need, design ways to address the need, and then create and implement a project around their design.
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The project is student-led and directed with adult mentors providing facilitation, support, and guidance. The Journey students discussed different needs they saw in their communities and then began to have conversations with key community stakeholders to figure out the best way to implement their vision. They decided that one way they could make an impact is with their peers, identifying that they struggle to find employment while still in high school.
From there, the juniors meet with organizations that focus on employment in the area including JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates) and Sunrise County Economic Council to see how they could help. Through these conversations, Journey students narrowed their focus to create an event they are calling the “Spring Into Success Job Fair,” a job fair targeted specially to students and employers that currently employ young adults. They also decided to create a series of workshops to help fellow high school students learn essential employment skills.
“These workshops focus on skills such as resume writing, interview preparation, and completing job applications accurately and professionally,” explains the Mission’s EdGE Youth Development Coordinator Jake Hunkler, who leads the Journey cohort. “Each of these workshops will be led by volunteers from our community or partner organizations such as JMG and will be designed to equip students with the tools and confidence necessary to gain part-time or seasonal employment while still in school.”
The Journey students will also identify local employers and organizations that currently hire high school students and invite them to a job fair geared towards students in grades 8-12. The job fair will create opportunities for students to interact directly with potential employers and to find leads on employment. In addition, students will collaborate with the school district to provide accurate information regarding student work permits, including eligibility requirements, the application process, and how work permits function within Maine’s labor guidelines.
The students are enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring their vision to life. The group has identified different parts of the planning that they were most interested in and are starting to work with adult mentors to lay out the foundation. “Through participation, I am learning and developing teamwork skills, gaining a better understanding of the planning requirements, as well as how to plan an event and reach out to a variety of people,” shares Journey student Zoey. “This has been an incredible learning experience, and it’s helping me to grow more comfortable in my ability to collaborate with many people on a project.”
Learn more about WCYLC and the Journey program.