Chris Spence for Project RISE

Advancing Youth Leadership and Job Access Teens ages 13-18 gain on-the-job training and build leadership skills while earning a stipend. The project is designed to build employment equity. Over the course of the academic year, teens write and edit their resumes, practice interview skills, investigate individual career interests with guest speakers, and choose job placements at partner neighborhood businesses. A diverse team of adult volunteer mentors offers financial literacy, goal-setting, and social-emotional learning support. Building leadership skills is central to the Project RISE experience. In collaboration with their teammates, the teens identify a social justice or community engagement project to…