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SUMMER WORK PROGRAM

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Week 1 & 2

Week 1 & 2

Dear SWP Parents,

Thank all of you for your engagement and participation so far. Our communication has been great, and you have responded to my requests as soon as possible; thank you so much.

The program kickoff occurred on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, with training at New Tech High School.

On training day, the youth had the opportunity to meet their respective mentors and received all the information, materials, and uniforms needed for the program.

The mentors and other presenters worked with the youth on various activities, including a financial literacy workshop, Nicasa Teen Court mock trial, team building, and leadership exercises, and reviewing the employee handbook. We thank Nicasa, Community Partners for Affordable Housing, and Chris Kubic, Zion Benton Township High School social studies teacher and community leader, for such great presentations. Also, thank you to New Tech High School for letting us use their space and The Grove at the Lake for providing lunch and beverages for everyone.

Thirty youth were hired, and each went through an application and interview process. Five of the 30 were placed at Zion-Benton Public Library and Zion Assessor’s office. The rest of the youth were placed in a maintenance crew.

I also want to thank the Zion Township staff who worked hard to plan and coordinate this event. Each staff member took the lead in some capacity to coordinate Parent Orientation, interviews, Training Day, job placements, and the curriculum for the program.

The Summer Work Program curriculum is based on the Community Character words: Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, Safety, Perseverance, and Kindness. Each week, there is a plan for the week by relating the character value of the week to the available work assignment. The youth review each word and take assessments to measure their learning and understanding of each word.

This newsletter showcases Training Day and the first two weeks of the Summer Work Program. Many fun and educational projects and activities are scheduled for the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned! We hope your youth is enjoying the program as much as we are. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

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