GRAND RAPIDS, Mi. — For some high school students, summer is already here. Others may be finishing up their last few weeks - and not have any idea what they will do with all of those long, lazy days. One option is to start planning for the future, and the YMCA is here to help. Finding a passion is hard for anyone, maybe even more so for a teenager, but the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is trying to make it a little easier with their summer Teen Learning Academy. The six week program that meets Monday through Thursday from 10:00-4:30 at the Mary Free Bed location.
Jason Hannah is the Senior Youth Enrichment Director. He says, "We'll go in about six different colleges and we have ton of guest speakers coming in. We don't push the four-year college, we try to push what they're passionate about whatever that is so they're wanting to get more into the trade schools.” That includes having a welder’s union and pipe fitters union coming in, and visiting various training facilities.
Students are able to catch a bus here from all over the Grand Rapids area, bringing together new friends and connections. "They have this bond and like this family kind of organization where they create these new relationships with students they’ve never seen before.” The students get to have some fun as well, they play golf once a week through a partnership with First Tee West Michigan.
Best of all, this free experience could come with a paycheck. Hannah says, "We treat it like a job so you go to a job every day, you get paid. We're giving them some sort of incentive, some sort of money to be a part of the program as well." Just another thing that makes this a positive, productive break for all the students participating. "We're just trying to make these kids feel like they have a space that's safe that will feed them every day and give them some training and stuff that that can work on, focus on them and what they really want to do for the rest of their life."
There are still spots available to students who have completed 9th, 10th or 11th grade. Participants will also take home a backpack full of school supplies to get them ready for the upcoming year after they've completed the program. For more information, or to sign up, head to https://www.grymca.org/.
