School has been in session for over a month, and fall is well underway: So that means that it’s time to kick off Work, Learn, and Grow yet again. This past weekend, youth aged 16-21 gathered at our Boone Avenue office for our official WLG Orientation. The day included a comprehensive information session outlining the coming months, along with Q&A opportunities for participants to voice their worries and concerns. Our partners at Citizens Bank also attended to provide financial literacy advice to participants, many of whom will be managing their own bank accounts for the first time.
WLG is about more than just the paycheck; it’s an introductory window to the working world.
How the Program Works: Education and Paid Internships
WLG is divided into two phases; during phase I, participants undergo an educational component in which they take courses for college credit and brush up on their skills. The second phase is where theory turns into practice, as participants transition into paid internships across NYC. (Read more about the basics of the program here.) At the end of the experience, students gain solid experience in interviewing for a job and handling themselves in a professional environment. The entire program can serve as a first glimpse into the working world for many students, and has the potential to influence their path many years down the road.
Bridging the Gap Between Education and Experience
As you may have heard often from CASW, we’re big proponents of hands-on learning. So much knowledge becomes accessible the moment you make students active participants in their own education. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to the workplace; what we learn in the classroom gives us a head start, but true knowledge in any field requires experience in the working environment. The goal of WLG is to bridge that gap, and our role as a provider is to be there every step of the way.
This orientation was just an initiation into a greater process and part of a much larger journey.
