(FLINT, Mich.) TeenQuest – a pre-employment and leadership training program that prepares young people for success in the 21st-century workplace – will kick off its first session of the 2021-22 school year later this month.
“Students who have gone through TeenQuest have an advantage over their peers,” said James Avery, director of talent development at Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, which administers TeenQuest and is a division of the Flint & Genesee Group.
“The program has strong name recognition with local employers and provides a solid foundation for teens who are, or will be, applying for their first jobs,” Avery added.
The program will be held Sept. 20 to Oct. 21, Mondays through Thursdays, at the following locations and times:
- Genesee STEM Academy: 4-6 p.m.
- Bendle High School: 2:50-4:50 p.m.
Over the course of five weeks, students will focus on developing the skills needed to secure and keep a job. Hands-on activities promote key soft skills including communication, goal setting and conflict resolution. Participants also learn how to write resumes, prepare for interviews and open personal checking/savings accounts.
Once they successfully complete the program, TeenQuest graduates will be invited to interview with local employers at the Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) Job Fair, which will be held in April 2022. In 2021, nearly 200 students secured summer jobs with SYI employers including Foodbank of Eastern Michigan, Genesee County Parks and Michigan Community Services, Inc.
Students do not need to attend the host schools to participate in TeenQuest. The program is open to all teenagers, ages 14-19 in grades 9-12, who attend school in Genesee County (e.g., public, private, charter, alternative and home school).
For students who are unable to attend this first session, there will be three more opportunities to participate in TeenQuest before the SYI job fair. Dates include:
- Session 2: Nov. 1 to Dec. 2, 2021
- Madison Academy (3-5 p.m.)
- Linden High School (3-5 p.m.)
- Southwestern Classical Academy (3:30-5:30 p.m.)
- Accelerated Learning Academy (3:30-5:30 p.m.)
- Session 3: Jan. 10 to Feb. 10, 2022
- Session 4: Feb. 21to March 24, 2022
Locations for sessions 3-4 are still being solidified and will be shared at flintandgenesee.org/teenquest soon.
Registration for the first session ends Sept. 20.
For more information, or to enroll, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/teenquest or call (810) 600-1413.
About Flint & Genesee Education & Talent
Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group, provides high-quality talent development through a continuum of programs for youth and adults including YouthQuest; TeenQuest; and Summer Youth Initiative; and, is funded in part by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers. For more information, visit flintandgenesee.org, and check us out on Facebook.
