The City of Statesboro is now accepting applications for its annual Statesboro Youth Connect (SYC) summer program. The city’s 5-week pre-professional program aims to inspire local high school students to become engaged, lifelong learners in their community. The program is set to begin on May 31, 2022, and will focus on the core concepts of education, employment, civic responsibility, leadership and diversity.
“I am looking forward to our city hosting the second annual Statesboro Youth Connect program,” said Mayor Jonathan McCollar. “Since taking office in 2017, one of my highest priorities has been engaging the youth of our community in a meaningful way. Typically, young people have to be in college or much older to apply for internships and pre-professional programs. By offering an opportunity for high school students to receive first-hand career development experience early on, they are more prepared for the workforce and have a better idea of what they would like to do after graduation.”
At the request of the Mayor and City Council, city staff developed and hosted the inaugural SYC program in June of last year. The goal of the program is to allow students to learn more about local government and explore possible career paths in local government while also obtaining valuable life skills that can be applied in the present and future.
“Statesboro Youth Connect is the embodiment of our Mayor and City Council’s vision to offer high school students an engaging summer program,” said Demetrius Bynes, City of Statesboro Director of Human Resources and Youth Connect Program Director. “This year’s program will accept 25 students to participate in a unique opportunity to learn about local government, strengthen personal skills, and explore career paths. I am excited to lead this effort for our city and look forward to interacting with some of Statesboro's brightest students.”
The summer program will provide a setting similar to an internship for high school students to gain invaluable experiences while also earning a stipend. To be eligible for the program, a student must be enrolled in high school (grades 10 through 12 by August 2022) and living in the city limits of Statesboro, or be a dependent of a City of Statesboro employee. Each week, the participants will be expected to report Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will earn a weekly stipend of $7.25 per hour. The participants are granted a one-hour lunch break each day. Lunch will not be provided.
Participants must have access to transportation to report to their assigned work location at the beginning of each day and have access to transportation to leave or be picked up at the end of each workday. Participants will be assigned to a city department or one of the program’s partner organizations, which include local non-profits and government entities.
The first few days of programming will be hosted at City Hall and feature educational presentations with guest speakers. Participants will then report to their assigned work locations for the remainder of the program. Students who participate in the program can expect to learn about the following topics: fundamentals of city government, life skills, soft skills, as well as lessons in employability, career exploration, civic engagement, leadership and diversity.
The deadline to apply for SYC is March 18, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. High school students interested in learning more or applying should visit www.statesboroga.gov/youthconnect. Questions about the program can be directed to the City of Statesboro’s Department of Human Resources at (912)-764-0683 or through email at [email protected]. Once all applications are received, a member of the City’s staff will reach out to potential participants to schedule a virtual interview.
