Kenosha County Summer Youth Employment Program completes 18th season
Kenosha County’s Summer Youth Employment program is wrapping up for the year, as it completes its 18th season of providing paying jobs and life skills for at-risk youth.
On Aug. 6, County Executive Samantha Kerkman and others joined in the unveiling of two murals that youth in an arts component of the program created — one to hang in the county’s new Human Services Building on 52nd Street, the other to be displayed at Hillcrest School.
Others in the program worked at 20 public- and private-sector worksites in the community, including two county parks.
“This program continues to provide valuable skills to youth — skills that will help to shape their careers and their lives for decades to come,” Kerkman said. “It truly is an investment in our future.”
Conducted in a partnership between the county and partner agencies, the program serves youth ages 14-21 who are referred by social workers, counselors, or other professionals.
A total of 133 youth were enrolled in the program this year, referred by social workers, parents, counselors, and other community organizations.
Participants work 20 hours a week for eight weeks, earning $9 per hour. Those who are Kenosha Unified School District students also earn a half credit toward their high school graduation after completing the program and a related work-skills curriculum.
Kerkman cites River Kerpec as a successful example of what the program can accomplish. Once a participant in the program, Kerpec is now a long-term seasonal employee of Kenosha County Parks, helping supervise current youth participants.
At Fox River Park on a recent morning, Kerpec provided direction to the youth as they trimmed overgrown bushes while reflecting on his own history in the program.
“I get to see when I was in their shoes, but now I’m teaching them the things I learned in the program,” said Kerpec, a Gateway Technical College student who plans to transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Among the goals of the program are:
- Improving employment skills and learning appropriate work conduct.
- Developing strong work ethic and learning the value and pride of an honest day’s work.
- Increasing knowledge of career interest.
- Decreasing gang involvement and juvenile crime in the community.
“Over the years, the Summer Youth Employment Program has proven to be a valuable tool for prevention and education,” said county Gang Intervention/Youth Justice Supervisor Glenn Larson, who oversees the program. “It’s rewarding to see all that these youth have accomplished, for the community and for themselves and their families.”
In addition to Kenosha County, program partners include the Kenosha Unified School District, the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, Community Impact Programs and the participating worksites. Glenn Larson, the county’s Gang Intervention Supervisor, oversees the program.
For more information about the Kenosha County Division of Children and Family Services and the functions it serves, visit https://www.kenoshacountywi.gov/241/Children-Family-Services.
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