Teen Works Graduation (VIDEO)

Teen Works graduates. PHOTO | Montgomery County

Seventy-five local teens recently completed a major first step toward defining positive goals for their futures when they graduated from the County’s 2014 Teen Works Program.

Introduced by the Montgomery County Recreation Department in 2012, Teen Works is a comprehensive youth development work program that aims to address the growing trend of youth who are challenged to find meaningful employment. It features an occupational component that provides opportunity for teens to develop work experiences and an education component that provides leadership training.

Teen Works is offered year round for Montgomery County high school students age 16 to graduation. Teens are placed in public-sector and non-profit jobs throughout the County. They can work up to four hours per day or eight hours on weekends during the school year, or 40 hours per week during the summer months, earning minimum wage, that is paid by the County.

The year-end ceremony for the Teen Works graduates, held at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington on July 30, was attended by Councilmembers Craig Rice and Nancy Navarro.

Teen Works staff members. PHOTO | Montgomery County

Gabe Albornoz, Montgomery County Recreation Director said, “Teen Works exemplifies Montgomery County’s ongoing dedication to provide positive youth development opportunities for our youth to shape a positive path for future successes and achieve their full potential. I have seen firsthand the incredible energy and hard work that the youth bring to the program, and I am very proud of the all of our Teen Work graduates.”

In addition to the Department of Recreation, other County agencies that work to provide enhanced positive youth development services include the departments of Health and Human Services, Police, Public Libraries, Technology Services, Housing and Community Affairs, and Environmental Protection, plus the Office of the State’s Attorney and the Board of Elections. The Teen Works program was founded on the best practices identified in a Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight report on Youth and Work in Montgomery County.

Hear more about the program and what it has meant to some of the graduates in a new Teen Works video.

For more information about Montgomery County Recreation teen programs, call 240.777.8080.

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