Teenagers, Older Youths Urged to Apply Online or at ABCD Neighborhood Sites
Teenagers and young people up to age 21 are urged to apply now for the ABCD SummerWorks program. This year Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) will provide summer jobs for young people ages 14 to 21.
Applications can be accessed and completed online at www.summerworks.net. Applicants will then need to bring necessary documentation to their ABCD neighborhood office or to 200 Tremont Street in Boston.
The ABCD SummerWorks program offers paid work experience, tutoring, mentoring and career development to youths from low-income families in the city of Boston. Those served by ABCD are the most at-risk young people in the city – all come from inner-city families with a total family income of **$27,938 or less **for a family of four.
“We hope that state and federal funding and the generosity of donors will enable us to put large numbers of young people to work again this year,” said ABCD President/CEO John J. Drew. “These kids want and need jobs. Last year, we were able to put nearly 1200 youth to work, but we had almost 7000 applicants for those jobs.”
Drew noted that with federal funding looking even tighter this year, ABCD is reaching out to friends, corporate donors and others to help fund this all-important program. “We provide career development, tutoring, mentoring services. We get teenagers off the street and engaged in positive pursuits. It’s a win-win program.”
The program places young people to work at jobs at local non-profit organizations including hospitals, health centers, museums, day camps, government agencies and child care centers. The youths also participate in work-readiness and career-oriented workshops and receive mentoring and tutoring, including preparation for the MCAS exam.
For more information about the program, please call 617-348-6548 or visit www.bostonabcd.org.
ABCD SummerWorks is part of Mayor Thomas Menino’s summer jobs initiative for Boston and has provided opportunities for at-risk Boston youth since 1965.
Juan is 18 years old a proud father, a student at City Roots and a Boston Youth Service Network youth committee member. Juan's family is from Venezuela, who moved from Florida to Boston. Juan was referred to City Roots by his brother who completed and graduated the program already, after he dropped out of his public high school. He wanted to start the school year fresh, and to still have the chance to get his diploma. At City Roots, Juan is learning Italian, and passing all of his classes, with good grades.
