Program to target 14- to 18-year-olds for homework help, job
training
A group of community members are working together to launch a
nonprofit called Standing in the Gap, which will allow them to
build what organizers are calling a
”
student success center
”
for teens ages 14-18. The idea of the nonprofit is to create a
space where teens can go to work on their homework, interact with a
mentor and increase their job skills while also increasing their
confidence.
Program to target 14- to 18-year-olds for homework help, job training
A group of community members are working together to launch a nonprofit called Standing in the Gap, which will allow them to build what organizers are calling a “student success center” for teens ages 14-18. The idea of the nonprofit is to create a space where teens can go to work on their homework, interact with a mentor and increase their job skills while also increasing their confidence.
Martin Leon, the owner of Communications Unlimited, said he called Mike Sanchez, the San Benito County superintendent of schools, more than a year ago to talk about ways to get involved.
“He gave me some insight,” Leon said. “Parents only know what they were brought up with” so it can be hard to break cycles within a family.
With the help of other community members, and nonprofit organizers from other cities, Leon has applied for a grant for Standing in the Gap that the group should hear about in the coming weeks. They also have the Charity Golf Classic Aug. 28, which will benefit Standing in the Gap, Compassion Pregnancy and Emmaus House.
“We are in the grassroots of starting Standing in the Gap,” said Cynthia Smith, a manager at Communications Unlimited, who has been working closely on the project since moving to Hollister at the beginning of the year.
The first phase of the project, when funding is sought, will be to open the youth success center with at least 10 computer stations.
“We want to have a place for the kids who don’t have access,” Leon said. “We want to provide programs. There are only so many computers available at the high school and at the library.”
Smith said the ultimate goal is to have a business center on site as well, that would have fax and copy machines for the teens to use when preparing for job interviews.
“There will be a formal mentoring program and the really cool thing is we are actually going to be doing some media programs,” Smith said, explaining that the teens would be making online videos to show people how to use the many features of their phones.
“It’s pretty ambitious goals,” Smith said.
The last component of the program is to connect the teens with local businesses so they can get some job experience. In fact, four young people are working at Communications Unlimited this summer through a six-week San Benito County One-Stop Center program.
“It’s been positive,” said Alina Orabuena, 20. “We are getting a lot out of it – a lot of training from just working.”
Jerry Magorian, another manager of the store, said the teens have brought a positive energy to the store.
“They have such a desire to learn more,” he said. “They just enjoy it. They suck everything up. They are like little sponges.”
Magorian has worked in retail before and he said some of the teens he worked with at other places where just going through the motions.
“I don’t know if everyone would realize the opportunity they have, but these kids do,” Magorian said.
Lauren Conrad, 18, said she was lucky to have the job.
“My grandma’s friend worked [at the One-Stop Center] and told me about the program so I signed up,” Conrad said. “It’s way better than finding a job on my own. It’s so hard to find a job.”
She said she had learned a lot about technology and how to communicate with people.
“It’s hard for people to find jobs,” she said. “We’re lucky.”
Robert Muñoz, 17, and Anthony Gonzales, 18, are also working at Communications Unlimited for the summer through the program.
“I’ve been in business for 20 years and had my kids working for me, and my kid’s friends,” Leon said. “We were working with youth all along … we were doing exactly what we wanted to be doing in the community.”
With the recent quartet, Leon said he has seen the change in the students in the first month they have been with the program.
“They are kind of shy at first, but by three weeks I saw them change,” he said. “They are being more assertive … I’ve seen them blossom.”
