County Executive Jonathan Delagrave joined community leaders at Pritchard Park to kick off Racine County’s Youth Summer Jobs initiative, a new program to improve outcomes for youth of color.
The county has brought together over 15 companies and nonprofits to help fund wages and employ approximately 30 kids, prioritizing youth of color and individuals in youth justice diversion. Officials plan to expand the program to additional job sites.
Benefits include:
- Improve graduation rates and lifelong wages
- Reduce involvement in the juvenile justice system.
- Improve racial equity
For 2022, the program placed 101 youth at 33 participating job sites.
“This program is a true win-win—it helps our youth, it helps our businesses, and it helps our community,” said County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.
YMCA offers strong community Development Programs
Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) – The YMCA in Racine brings youth, parents, teachers, volunteers, donors, and community members together to change the attitudes of youth By empowering them to achieve success in school and life.
Programs offered:
- First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship Program
- Focus on Fathers
- Healthy Living Kitchen
First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship Program
This 6-week program focuses on Tools for Success as a prerequisite for construction concepts, road building, and safety. In the Tools for Success curriculum, emphasis is placed on personal growth and development assets.
We understand employers value candidates who bring them time management, stress management, anger management, and other employability skills. In contrast, the prospective employer provides other skills in the building trades for successful careers.
Focus on Fathers
This program enhances the capacity of fathers to be positively involved in their children’s lives and their communities. There are afternoon and weekday sessions, young father mentoring, support groups, and workshops for interested organizations.
Through evidence-based fatherhood, relationship, and early childhood development programming, fathers learn the principles of effective parenting and communication.
Healthy Living Kitchen
To address the issue of poor nutrition among low income youth in Racine’s inner city, the Racine Family YMCA is constructing a Healthy Living Kitchen to provide hot, nutritious meals free to 150 children and teens at least twice per week to start and eventually, every school day, to introduce a free summer meal program.
When completed, the Healthy Living Kitchen will also provide meals for the Food for Thought component of the Credible Messenger gang-diversion program funded by Racine County Human Services. Mentors and youth gather around the table to share a meal, bond and build trust, and discuss the day’s topics.