PHOENIX — Teens in the Valley can have a chance to learn leadership and job training skills thanks to the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley.
The Emerging Leaders program is designed to teach teens the skills needed to get a job and succeed in the workforce once they become adults. The program started when leaders at the club noticed a need in the community.
"The Emerging Leader Program began when we realized a need for teens, ages 14 through 17, to really have a specific workforce development experience, entry into the workforce and the right mentor and supervision to really make it into a career program." Marcia Mintz, President and CEO, the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley explained.
It's not just the adults behind the program who say it's working. The teens taking part in the program say it has taught them valuable skills.
"From the Emerging Leaders Group, I've learned responsibility is good. Patience is really good with the little kids, that you need them really mature when you're doing this," Ezekiel Mireles, Emerging Leader, Boys and Girls Club of the Valley said.
"I've been doing is just observing them, see what they do. If something bad has happened or like there's a problem, I would see what I could do to try and resolve it," Christian Astudillo, Emerging Leader, Boys and Girls Club of the Valley added.
Leaders with the club in the Valley say it's not just the teens there that are learning and developing these important skills.
"I mean, Christian and Zeke are examples of exactly the type of teams we're looking for. And I can tell you, this summer, I went around to all the clubs that were have that had emerging leaders in the clubs, and I was absolutely blown away by the work ethic, the dedication and the responsibility level of our emerging leaders," Mintz said.
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