YW Strive for Teens

By Karissa Skeens YW Strive for Teens Program Administrator

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, last summer (2021), the youth labor force grew by 2.4 million, or 11.7 percent, to a total of 22.5 million in July 2021. In our area, many companies are hiring younger adults. While this is an exciting and empowering move for the youth in our community, are they being taught skills they need in order to enter the workforce successfully?

The YWCA of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, in partnership with the National YWCA and Torrid, is on a mission to empower teen girls through the YW Strive for Teens program. Since launching summer 2022, the YW Strive for Teens program has helped teach girls digital, interpersonal, and business skills needed for success in today’s workforce. The program aims to equip girls with the tools necessary to become the thinkers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators of tomorrow. YW Strive for Teens is implemented through a trauma-informed lens in order to better address issues such as chronic poverty, unemployment, and underemployment for youth and young adults in our community. The program is also being implemented on-site at organizations across the region who work with girls.

To date 80 classes have been offered in partnership with churches and community organizations.

YW Strive for Teens curriculum is designed to present in various modalities to accommodate in-person, virtual, or blended learning. Additional modules are available we have the flexibility to customize the sessions to reflect the interests of the participants. Curriculum implementation and hours of instruction are flexible according to the needs of our community partners.

The ideal outcome of YW Strive for Teens is to help youth learn how to gain and maintain employment, mitigate the impacts of trauma and adversity in their personal lives and achieve and maintain financial stability. The program implementation includes educational sessions, case management, and group discussions that aid teen girls in learning valuable skills such as resume building, interview etiquette, applying for jobs, and more. YW Strive for Teens Program Instructor, Lorrie Anderson, has high hopes for these program outcomes. Anderson states “My hope is that YW Strive for Teens will motivate the next generation of incredible, hard-working girls to go into the work force with fierce determination to accomplish their wildest dreams while fearlessly and proudly being their authentic selves.”

If you or your organization are interested in the YW Strive for Teens program, please contact YW Strive for Teens Program Administrator, Karissa Skeens, at kskeens@ywcatnva.org