This summer, 10 local students ages 14 to 16 worked for eight weeks in Rosedale Development Association’s (RDA) Summer Youth Employment (SYE) Program.
This program was made possible through a grant from the Board of Public Utilities and the partnership of several local businesses and organizations, according to the RDA spokesman.
The program kicked off with BikeWalkKC administering their Earn-a-Bike program, where youth learned and practiced bicycle safety skills. After the week-long training, each student received a bike they could ride to and from their job site, along with a lock, lights and a helmet.
Following the training week and job fair, each SYE participant was placed with a local business or organization, where they worked Monday through Thursday.
This year, these partners included Dynamic Discs, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Kansas City Direct Primary Care, Little Angels Daycare, Midpoint National, MKS Pipe and Valve, Omega Door and Hardware, Refined Interior Staging Solutions, Sharing Community in Rosedale, and Vox Theatre. Then each Friday, students attended a Lunch and Learn professional development training, facilitated by RDA and led by community leaders. These sessions taught students hands-on job skills like how to network, write a cover letter and resume, open a bank account, and prepare for interviews.
This year’s program will conclude with a graduation on Thursday, Aug. 1.
One graduate, Karina Rincon, who worked at Omega Door and Hardware, says of the program, “I had a chance to work with my peers at the Lunch and Learns as well as adults at my job. It was weird working with adults, but after awhile I realized I could do the same work as they could.”
Each year, SYE meets an integral part of RDA’s mission to work with residents, businesses, and institutions to develop a thriving Rosedale community, the RDA spokesman stated.