YOUTHIRE AND NORTH SHORE SCHOOLS PARTNER TO HELP STUDENTS DISCOVER PASSIONS AND CAREER PATHS
 Dr. Ed Melnick and Tom Cerna
December 20, 2015 -- Youthire, the on-line service that links young job seekers with job providers, will now be collaborating with the North Shore School District in a partnership that will assist students in finding authentic learning and employment opportunities outside of the walls of the traditional school experience.
Founded two years ago by Glenwood Landing resident Tom Cerna, Youthire has served as an employment matchmaker pairing young people seeking work with homeowners needing help with an odd job or small business owners seeking employees. Now organized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the company is adding to its resume listings for volunteer service opportunities and internships. "The new business model will involve restructuring the website to act as a central hub for students to view opportunities from four different categories - internships, volunteer programs, employment opportunities and odd-jobs," said Mr. Cerna. "It will enable students to find out what motivates them or what sparks their passions." Youthire, he continued, will also work to provide for personal development training programs and mentors to better prepare students for life after school. Schools Superintendent Dr. Edward Melnick, who has long emphasized the importance of promoting a real-world education through authentic learning experiences, along with Mr. Cerna spoke recently with Northwordnews and offered his support to Mr. Cerna's initiative. He explained that the school district is willing to endorse and work with not-for-profits that provide services or programs that complement the District's educational mission. "The mentoring and internship component, as well as the service opportunities," explained Dr. Melnick, "fit in very well with our efforts to prepare our students for work and college. These are real-life authentic work experiences. They give students a picture of the world beyond the insulated environment of the school." Additionally, he said he anticipated that the program would help strengthen ties to the community, as employers and service organizations meet and see the valuable contributions that are made by young people in our schools. "It will go a long way toward creating a positive feeling about adolescents in the community," said Dr. Melnick. "It will build bridges and be a unifying force." Mr. Cerna stated that the work experience will "also teach young people the values of job satisfaction, work responsibility and an appreciation for the work ethic. It will help them to become self-reliant and confident in skills that they didn't even know they had." "Not a bad idea to teach young people that one needs to work in order to make money," added Dr. Melnick. "It helps students learn the value of a dollar." Echoing Mr. Cerna's thoughts, he said that the project will "give students the opportunity to explore their interests and passions. It'll save them from going into a career later that is not right for them, and give them a chance to steer themselves in the right direction." And in support of Mr. Cerna's efforts, the district will provide a link to Youthire through the district website, and help promote its programs through e-mail blasts as it does for other local not-for-profits like youth sports leagues and the Sea Cliff Makeshop. The new Youthire website, Youthire.org, with volunteer service and internship opportunities included among its listings will be up and running this January. (T. Madden, Northwordnews) BACK TO WEEKLY |
