Each summer, high school students are searching for employment. TeenWorks, formerly Pro100, is a non-profit organization that provides landscaping jobs for low-income students in the Indianapolis area.
Since becoming a non-profit organization, TeenWorks has hired about 250 students from ages 16-18, compared to the 100 students from ages 14-18 that Pro100 would hire.
“We’re giving our students something productive to do over the summer,” said Landon Martin, program director. “They’re not as many jobs (for those ages) as there used to be. We can fill that void.”
Since the second half of the students’ workdays are focused on college prep, resumes and interviews, TeenWorks decided to change the age requirement.
Martin said some of the information was not yet relevant to eighth grade students or students, but they are still looking for a way to create a job program for this audience.
With TeenWorks, students work six-hour days for six weeks. The students are split into groups and assigned a supervisor and assistant supervisor. Each group works at a different site in Indianapolis.
Frank Stone, a supervisor at the Indianapolis Cultural Trail for TeenWorks, manages a group of 13 students.
“I’ve seen the other end of the spectrum,” Stone said. “I’ve worked with teenagers that were in the juvenile system. Just working with high schoolers that are focused on their futures and really driven by their goals is really what interests me.”
Students are picked up by a TeenWorks van Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. at a local high school, arrive at their worksite at 8 a.m. and work until about 11 a.m.
The students’ and supervisors’ job at the Cultural Trail is to make sure the trail is presentable for Indianapolis citizens and visitors.
Tamara Johnson, part of Stone’s group, enjoys working on the Cultural Trail with her group.
“I expected it to be totally different,” Johnson said. “I love this so far. It’s only my second week doing TeenWorks and I like how our groups are so small, so it felt like even after a week we’re already a working group and community.”
Along with many other students, TeenWorks is Johnson’s first job. However, she said the supervisors work with them and understand that they are new to working.
Martin also understands these students are learning as they go.
“When you look at the small picture, it’s an opportunity for students to earn some money to help their families out during the summer,” Martin said. “But it’s also an opportunity to make some of these mistakes with us before they go on to a potential career.”
Although TeenWorks is beneficial to students, they still face workday challenges. Most of the students work outside in the morning, and no matter the weather, they have to keep working.
“We are in the elements and it varies from day to day,” Stone said. “I think both supervisors and students just kind of learn how to adapt whether it’s to weather conditions or the task at hand for the day.”
Johnson agrees, and also believes the time they have to wake up for work is a challenge since it is summer time.
Despite the challenges the supervisors and students may face, they are learning more about themselves, jobs and technology than they had before.
“It allows me to stay in touch with this generation, with the challenges they face on a daily basis,” Stone said. “It also provides some insight into what I can take into my profession as well.”
Stone also believes TeenWorks benefits students because they learn how to fill out paperwork, write resumes, learn public speaking skills and visit colleges weekly. Additionally, students have the chance to earn a college scholarship.
Although TeenWorks serves many communities and employs many students, Martin sees TeenWorks expanding.
“If we had more funding, we could hire more students,” Martin said. “If we had more students, we would need more work sites. We need more partners to come forward.”
For more information, visit Teenworks.org. Employers: TeenWorks is holding a mock interview day for two hours on July 16. If you would like to participate, contact Landon Martin at lmartin@teenworks.org.
