The Summer Jobs Program has helped 129 at-risk youth since it began in 2012. (Eric Stock/WJBC)
By Joe Ragusa
BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County Juvenile Justice Council, parterning with Youthbuild McLean County, has been providing employment opportunities for at-risk youth in the community since 2012 with their Summer Jobs Program.
“Every summer, we see a spike in our deliquency numbers,” McLean County State’s Attorney Jason Chambers told the Bloomington City Council Monday.
The Summer Jobs Program has helped at-risk youth gain employment opportunities they may not have received otherwise.
“There are other summer programs in our area, but they are for those students who can get references from their teachers and who are on high academics in the traditional schools,” Youthbuild programs manager Alicia Lenard said. “If you fit that model, you don’t fit our program.”
Lenard said they have helped teenagers with about 688 hours of workforce training over the last three years.
“Everything that we might take for granted, from sending emails to sending a fax to, did you know that people can Google your social media accounts and that’s probably why you’re not going to get that job?” Lenard said. “I mean really exposing them to things that will make them less marketable or more marketable (as a job candidate).”
The program is funded with $10,000 each from Bloomington and Normal and another $2,500 from the McLean County State’s Attorney’s office and the McLean County Sheriff’s office.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at joe.ragusa@cumulus.com.
