Training and Enrichment Programs

The organizations have programs this summer for you to learn something new (like a new Trade) or enrich your life with meaningful experiences.

ANEW

ANEW offers high-quality, pre-apprenticeship training programs that help individuals obtain careers in construction trades. They partner with many registered apprenticeship programs in the Seattle area and expose students directly to their training facilities.

Opportunity: The Youth Exploration Program – In partnership with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), the Youth Exploration Program introduces youth to living wage career opportunities in the construction industry. Their program offers career-readiness, soft skills training, and paid hands-on technical learning, which is our Summer Boot Camp. Requirements for these programs include having an IEP and/or 504 plan or documented disability.

Sawhorse Revolution

Sawhorse Revolution fosters confident, community-oriented youth through the power of carpentry and craft. They are inspired to create equitable change within a framework of “feet-on-the-ground” education, empowerment, and leadership, in and for our community. Participants use the carpentry skills they develop to build projects for people and organizations in need.

Opportunity: Boat Build Camp – more information to come. Click the link to see a wide variety of projects participants have created over the years.

Seattle Parks and Recreation

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) supports healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community by providing safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life. SPR also manages many facilities, including 25 community centers, eight indoor swimming pools, two outdoor (summer) swimming pools, two environmental education centers, two small craft centers, four golf courses, an outdoor stadium, and much more.

Opportunity 1: Pre-Employment Program – a job readiness training program for young people ages 13-18. This training program occurs during Fall, Winter, and Spring. This is a series of pre-work based skills to support and inform young people how to write resumes, manage time, practice communication skills and more.

Opportunity 2: Lifeguard Training Team – A free summer program for teens age 15-18, although primarily targeted at 15 year olds who are not eligible for employment with SPR due to age. This program is like a summer day camp + lifeguard training course all in one, and also includes a few opportunities for extra volunteer or service learning components.

Seattle Public Schools Career Connected Learning

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Career Connected Learning prepares students for career and college readiness after high school. Through Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes and internship opportunities, students explore a wide array of careers with the opportunity to deep dive into career pathways of particular interest to them.

Opportunity: Skills Center Summer Courses – Summer Skills Center classes are introductory versions of what they typically offer during the school year. These courses can launch a student’s CTE pathway while also helping them complete requirements for graduation. This is also an opportunity for students to take CTE classes not offered at their own school during the school year (like Engineering, Music Production, and Video Game Design)

Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP)

The Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) supports young people (ages 16 to 24) from qualifying-income households and communities that experience racial, social, and economic disparities. The goal is to increase youth and young adults’ ability to pursue careers that pay well and are meaningful to them.

Opportunity: Learn & Earn Program (Foundations / Pathways) – participants identify professional interests, gain marketable skills, are exposed to various career fields, and build their social network. Students receive stipends based on their quarterly participation during the school year.

Skate Like A Girl

Skate Like a Girl’s mission is to create an inclusive community by promoting confidence, leadership, and social justice through skateboarding. They empower skaters, especially young women and/or trans people, to grow into strong, confident leaders who promote and implement social equity.

Opportunity: WT (Women &/or Trans) Skate Sessions – A weekly skate session (Monday and Thursday) at All Together Skatepark for women, trans, non-binary, and/or gender-expansive skaters to learn and build community. Scholarships, small group skate lessons, and gear rental available.

The Service Board

Through sports like snowboarding, the Service Board is committed to increasing diversity in the outdoors and building confidence in youth. In combination with community service projects, adult mentoring, social and environmental justice education, tSB creates courageous communities of young change-makers, athletes, and future environmentalists.

Opportunity: Summer Leadership Impact Program – a leadership focused, 6-week summer program. SLIP aims to develop the next generation of tSB Peer Leaders, local civic leaders, and advocates alike. In this experience-based program, you’ll do on-site visits to organizations that make design decisions impacting our everyday activities. These behind-the-scenes opportunities expose you to a broad range of career opportunities.

The Vera Project

The Vera Project is an all-ages space dedicated to fostering personal and community transformation through collaborative, youth-driven engagement in music and art. A music venue, screen print shop, recording studio, art gallery, and safe space for radical self-expression, VERA is a home to Seattle’s creative community.

Opportunity: Live Production Lab – participants receive extensive technical training, sustained mentorship, and paid work opportunities in live sound production, house management, venue operations, festival support, booking, marketing, safety, and more. People of all ages accepted into the program, which prioritizes BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ young adults, will receive over 40 hours of instruction, 40 hours of mentorship, 32 hours of on-the-job supervision, and guaranteed job placement at The Vera Project and/or their many partnered venues and community spaces.

UW Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center

The Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC) is a worldwide leader in injury cause and prevention research. They conduct research, train scientists, educate public health practitioners, and implement prevention programs to achieve injury-related health equity across the lifespan, because all people belong in the circle of human concern.

Opportunity 2: Student Lifeguard Training – As a lifeguard you will learn essential life skills, make our communities safer around water, and build a strong career platform. When you are a lifeguard, you are part of a team and you might just save someone’s life.

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) empowers African Americans, as well as other diverse underserved communities, to thrive by securing educational and economic opportunities. The team works relentlessly alongside local partners and community supporters to ensure the needs of the families served are being met and the economic challenges they face overcome.

Opportunity: Construction Trades Program (PACT) – The ULMS construction Trades program (CTP) is dedicated to assisting and preparing individuals to enter pre- apprenticeship, and apprenticeship opportunities breaking down barriers that are in place for underrepresented individuals (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) that are striving for a career working in the construction trades.

YMCA of Greater Seattle

The YMCA of Greater Seattle nurtures the potential of every child and teen by supporting their unique youth development journey through holistic programming. From cradle to career, the Y provides all youth with the tools and resources they need to succeed in life.

Opportunity: BOLD & GOLD – a program that provides opportunities for teens to try something new, challenge themselves, and build a strong community of peers through outdoor adventure trips. Participants can sign-up for one- to two-week trips that explore National Parks by backpacking, rock climbing, or hiking. Financial assistance is available.

Youth in Focus

Youth in Focus is a catalyst for the next generation of creative thinkers, fostering social and emotional learning and 21st century skills through photography and digital media offerings. They provide a range of programs for teens ages 13-19, where students explore creativity, practice risk-taking, and gain life-long tools to succeed in their futures. Programs are offered to youth for free-of-charge or pay-what-you-can. They loan students all needed equipment, supply snacks each day, and provide free bus passes.

Opportunity: Summer Camp Programs – fun-filled, weeklong activities centered on photography for youth entering 6th-12th grades, which include field trips and other summer seasonal activities. Programs are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.

YWCA

YWCA seeks to create an inclusive and thriving community transformed by racial and gender equity, with peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. They offer programs that help community members gain equitable opportunity to reach their full potential.

Opportunity: Youth Empowerment – a combined program of Youth Opportunity Mentorship and Youth Employment Training where the team helps youth ages 16 through 24 years old by providing 1 on 1 case management for job search assistance, college/career pathways road map navigation planning, scholarships/internship referrals, apprenticeship trainings, resume/cover letter building, job interview coaching prep as well as being a supportive adult through mental health barriers and struggles in everyday life.