It’s tough to be a teen, but even tougher when coming from an underrepresented, underserved population. In 1981, Indiana philanthropist Gene B. Glick wanted to start a program that would provide teenagers with a summer job to help teach them the importance of self-discipline, a good work ethic, and giving back to the community. His idea blossomed over time to become TeenWorks, a 501(c)(3) organization that empowers teens to discover a new level of self-confidence by developing problem-solving and networking skills to ultimately achieve professional success.
When TeenWorks originally launched in Indianapolis, it partnered with golf courses in the Indy area to help young people get their first work experience. Over time the program expanded into three more Indiana cities: Muncie, Fort Wayne and Anderson. TeenWorks now includes the Summer, Pro and Alumni programs.
The Summer program is a six-week learning experience that involves grouping young people into teams of 10 or 12 and assigning them a supervisor who is skilled in youth development. Participants get paid as they work on a nonprofit project within their own community. They also learn professional development skills and resume building so they can better work within their team.
“We remove the barriers that those younger underrepresented, underserved populations tend to struggle with,” says Nick Duvall, CEO of TeenWorks. “This includes transportation, food and work experience.”
TeenWorks’ Pro program is a year-round, cohort-based model that allows teens to further develop their professional skills through entry-level work and, later, more sophisticated jobs, internships and apprenticeships. Students are assigned a professional counselor (called “professional managers”) to create a postsecondary success plan for the student’s journey through high school. This success plan may include academic counseling and coaching, work-based and career-based skill building, and other opportunities that traditionally wouldn’t be open to young people in these populations.
“When we’re talking about this younger underrepresented, underserved population, those individuals who have experience working with this population tend to be few and far between,” Duvall says. “Therefore, having these professional managers helping students along the way continues to remove barriers at several levels.”
By the time they reach their senior year, these students are ready to take on the next challenge of young adulthood, whether that’s directly entering the workforce, attending a four-year college or university, or pursuing a skilled trades/certification program.
The Alumni program picks up where the Pro program leaves off, as it provides ongoing support to young adults (ages 18 to 22) completing their next stage of education or career. For those students who want to attend a university or college, TeenWorks continues to help remove barriers, whether that be through tuition assistance or a scholarship fund. They also navigate challenges that first-generation college students often face such as questions about what campus life entails, how to create their schedule or how to go about book reimbursement.
“Our hope is to see students through the completion of that degree or certification program,” Duvall says.
Alicia Van Dyn entered the TeenWorks Summer program as a student at Muncie Central High School. She did that for several summers before progressing to the Pro program. She achieved impressive academic growth within the program and went on to get a scholarship to study at Ball State University. While there, she became a summer site supervisor to help a team of students progress through their Summer program. Now she’s in graduate school studying psychology, and is part of TeenWorks at BSU.
“Alicia not only took advantage of the opportunity that was given to her, but also then took the initiative to find opportunities to help other young people progress through the program,” Duvall says. “That’s pretty remarkable for someone in their 20s.”
Duvall notes how rewarding it is to witness the incredible transformation in a young person through the various TeenWorks programs over the course of several years.
“It’s almost not the same person by the end as they mature, develop skills and build a close relationship with their professional manager,” Duvall says. “The outcomes are remarkable.”
Often those professional managers form lasting relationships with the teens and stay in touch even after graduation or completion of a TeenWorks program, because that bond is so deep.
“When you’re talking about this vulnerable population, having that trusted individual that you consistently see on a regular basis is huge,” Duvall says. “They become a person the teen relies on, and continues to share their celebrations and triumphs.”
TeenWorks is all about work-based learning, and exploring career pathways and options for life after high school.
“There’s no better way to do that than through a mix of real-life experiences, thought-provoking discussions with a trusted mentor, purposeful learning in a classroom, and interactions with community professionals,” Duvall says.
TeenWorks is located at 801 North Walnut Street in Muncie. For more information, contact Isaiah York, program manager, at 765-351-1482 or visit teenworks.org.
