Closing Ceremonies for three YouthWorks Summer Jobs Programs

Druid Hill Park, Parkie-Lakeside Pavillion

Mayor's Office of Employment Development

Participants of the Mayor's Office of Employment Development's (MOED) YouthWorks summer job program will be honored at three events across the City. In the largest summer initiative to date, MOED in conjunction with its private and corporate partners, placed 5,000 youth in summer jobs.

Deputy Mayor David Scott, City Council President Sheila Dixon and Director of Parks and Recreation George L. Winfield will join over 400 Baltimore youth in celebrating the successful completion of their summer jobs at Druid Hill Park. The youth working with the Department of Parks and Recreation were part of a special program initiated by Mayor O'Malley: Operation Opportunity: Mayor's Youth Corps. This $1 million project provided 500 jobs for teens this summer and 50 supervisory jobs to college students to help to keep the City safe and clean and provide valuable work experience. Youth participating in Operation Opportunity spent their time engaged in beautification projects around Baltimore City.

Two additional closing ceremonies will be held for participants in Baltimore's Empowering Youth to Succeed/Rewarding Youth Achievement initiative. This very special YouthWorks opportunity was provided to 450 select youth who demonstrated achievement during the school year. The goal of the program is to reach out to teens who have demonstrated positive behaviour and measurable achievement in spite of the many challenges they face living in Baltimore's most depressed neighborhoods. The program provides an opportunity to reward, acknowledge and reinforce participants' efforts and enable them to become empowered to make a long term commitment to a successful future.

Morgan State University will celebrate eight YouthWorks' participants who completed a manufacturing/engineering summer program. This specially designed program taught students technical knowledge and skills applicable to design, manufacturing and other mechanical related industrial occupations. Students took classes in geometry and industrial technology and participated in generating and interpreting sketches and drawings.

Eleven students will be honored for their completion of a summer program at Southern High School. Focusing on work experience, these students were matched with a worksite at one of the UMAB professional schools-law, dental, social work etc,--based upon their career interest. This innovative program provides youth with an opportunity to work in their chosen field and learn from a professional what it takes to become successful in the selected occupational area. Students also spent three hours a week in a math and science class taught by a professor on campus.