Grab A Future – Career Mentoring
Grab a Future Career Mentoring Program
Grab a Future is a unique mentor-based career development program that gives disadvantaged youth an opportunity to experience a clean, clear look at what the future can hold and all the wonderful job opportunities available in their community. The aim is to take small groups of middle school students on a tour of county government departments and other municipal agencies that provide job opportunities. They will witness the day-to-day activities at “real life” jobs and will have the opportunity to talk to adults who go to work every day and return home to take care of their families.
These experiences will solidify their drive to stay in school, off the streets, out of gangs and out of the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. This is gang and violence prevention at its best! Children lucky enough to be part of the Grab a Future program will learn what county jobs pay, the educational requirements, health benefits, retirement, paid vacations, and other benefits. Youth may visit building and zoning, the housing authority, solid waste department, local hospitals, the police academy and/or the water and sewer department. In addition, many area businesses and other organizations in the county can provide even more career choices in education, technology, sales, etc. It is hopeful youth will be connected to employees who would become mentors.
The youth will learn three basic lessons:
(1) People in their communities have good paying jobs that can be attained if they stay in school;
(2) Gangs, guns and drugs bring short term pleasures; and
(3) Education, solid goals, and good jobs will provide a solid future no one can repossess or steal.
ARISE founders Susan and Edmund Benson encourages every community to implement this program in their local government as a gang and delinquency prevention tool. If desired, ARISE can serve as a consultant or manage the Grab a Future program in your community.
Related Material:
Gang Prevention
