Plenty of teens want and have summer jobs, for the money and the sense of independence those earnings can bring, but how many consider the real long-term value of those mostly “entry-level” positions?
Billy Davis, founder and executive director of A Positive Step of Monroe County, understood that value very well, and more than a decade ago, as a long-time youth and family advocate, set out to design a program to build on that value for the benefit of low-income and high-risk teens. He then took his idea to Key West city leaders, and in 2010, Davis’ nonprofit and the city partnered to launch the Idle Hands summer youth employment program, which has provided paid summer jobs in a variety of city departments for Key West High School students for 13 years (with the exception of the COVID-19 summer of 2020).
This summer, 18 students are interning in seven departments: Alisha Valeus in Coding; Rood Thania Pierre in Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Josue Thanus, Jeremiah Harvey, Dumel Voltaire and Jerven Louis in Transportation; Youma Midy, Eliany Leal Espinoza and Dazmine Jenkins at the KWPD; Tcheniya Brevil and Magdalena Vazquez Marquez in the Multimodal Transportation area of the engineering department; and Landawa Sylla, Brianna Nelson, Stanley Clermont, Zaikee Lopez, Clerf Alexandre, Ralph Riche and Dajon Edwards at the Key West City Cemetery.
Transportation Director Rod Delostrinos’ interns are 16 and entering their junior year of high school in the fall. All said they plan to attend college, with Harvey interested in law, Louis in engineering and entrepreneurship, and Voltaire looking at a degree in engineering with “probably a minor in business.” Thanus, who plays varsity basketball, says his dream is to play college ball and have a career in the NBA, said he will probably major in business.
Delostrinos pointed out that while cleaning and maintaining city buses may not appear on the surface like college prep activities, “the ‘soft’ skills acquired – such as collaboration, self-discipline, teamwork and planning and execution of tasks are all crucial to success in college and in life.”
Among Cemetery Sexton Rosa Diaz’ interns, Zaikee Lopez has expressed interest in pursuing a plumbing training program and to one day launch his own plumbing business; the rest are planning on college and earning business degrees, Diaz said. “Every one of my interns has a great head on their shoulders,” she said. “I’m thankful for the extra help they provided to the cemetery this summer, and I’m sure the families of the interred will be too when they come and see the difference they’ve made with their hard work. Their potential and eagerness to learn makes me believe they are all on a great path in life.”
Each step of the program, which has been guided over the past several years by educator Lynne Casamayor, is an educational and motivational experience for the interns, beginning with a job readiness/orientation component that includes coaching in tax preparation, substance abuse awareness, college planning and job interview strategies.
Many of the program students contribute some or all of their earnings to their households, and with this in mind, salaries were increased to $17 per hour this year and orientation was shortened from two weeks to one in order to allow the students an extra week of earning time.
With an annual cost of about $70,000, the city contributes $35,000 and APSMC raises the balance via an ongoing series of fundraisers, such as the annual “Rudolph Red Nose 5K,” and the generosity of local individual donors, clubs and business benefactors, including the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club, and the local Lilly Pulitzer boutique.
“It’s very gratifying to watch each summer as the student interns develop greater confidence along with important work and social skills,” said Davis. “We see them discovering previously unrealized talents and discarding old patterns of low expectations. Whether they go on to college or directly into full-time working life, they have become more aware and confident of their strengths, self-worth, and ability to contribute as a professional.”
“APSMC deeply appreciates our partnership with the City of Key West and with Key West High School, who provides space for our job readiness program, lunch for the students, and whose staff helps to identify eligible participants each year,” Davis said.
APSMC also offers a cost-free “Fatherhood Program,” available in English, Spanish and Creole, to assist fathers, including incarcerated ones, with parenting skills and co-parenting skills, along with anger management, health and substance abuse awareness.
More information is available at apsmc.org or from Davis at 305-304-1969 or APSMCCRP@aol.com.
