Teens get help with hunt for some scarce summer jobs

The world is at their fingertips — or at least that’s what people tell them.

But the truth is young people, especially in the Bronx, are having a hard time finding work. The rate of 16- to 24-year-olds who are either out of work or out of school in the borough is 26 percent — double that of Manhattan.

The gradual rise in minimum wage has taken “summer jobs” at shopping malls or fast food joints away from teenagers, according to the Employment Policies Institute, a nonprofit research organization that studies employment growth. Now, adults in their late 20s or even early 30s who have prior experience are taking those jobs, leaving many young people without work.

“There’s always people who are older than us, and they have more work experience,” said Afua Adyekum. “There’s not really a lot of jobs for younger people.”

Adyekum is about to enter her senior year at New Visions Charter High School Advanced Math and Science in Marble Hill. The 16-year-old from Norwood plans to attend college to become a pediatrician.

At 14, Adyekum was on the hunt for a job, applying to the city’s summer youth employment program. However, she never received a phone call or an interview. That’s when she discovered the internship program at Riverdale Neighborhood House.

The program, which has been in place for more than 10 years, is focused on giving teens a jump-start in terms of work experience and employable skills. Students who apply and are accepted can be placed at various partnering sites, such as the Montefiore Medical Center, Friends at Van Cortlandt Park, and even the neighborhood house itself.

Those who participate in the internship program are awarded a stipend and typically work two days a week.

“For the most part, these are young people who can get easily lost in the school system because they haven’t been on the dean’s list for four semesters,” said Nancy Nunez, the center’s director of youth services. “But they’re good people, and they just need an opportunity.”

Opportunity is just what Adyekum received when she entered the center three years ago. Her first internship was working with kindergarteners, first graders and second graders, helping the kids discover a love for reading.

Adyekum fondly remembers reading Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” to her students. Afterward, the group enjoyed monster-themed snacks. Another time, after reading a book about a carnival, she organized a makeshift mini-carnival in the recess yard on the last day of classes.

“Overall I really loved that,” Adyekum said. “I’m definitely going back next year because it really prepared me for future jobs.”

The aspiring pediatrician also is grateful to have a leg up from her peers in forming connections with kids. The experience taught her the value of patience and understanding.

Adyekum’s experience is what the program hopes to achieve with everyone who enters the internship program, according to Nunez. Internships are treated as jobs, and participants are evaluated and admonished if they display irresponsibility like being late or missing a day of work.

Aymet Olivares, a youth development specialist at the neighborhood house — and an alumna of the internship program — vouches for its immediate impact in a young person’s future.

“Even up to my most recent job prior to here, I was still using the center as far as my references because they knew me for more than half of my adult life,” she said.

One thing that all participants walk away with is a certificate of completion and a letter of recommendation to show to future employers.

Along with the internship program, the neighborhood house also offers a college direction program that helps teens prepare for SATs, fill out college applications, and find the appropriate financial aid.

Last year, the center had 10 teenagers accepted into college. 

One of those teens is Marc Reyes, who grew up swimming in the pool and playing with his friends at the center. He started the internship program three years ago, taking advantage of the college counseling the neighborhood house provided.

“When I first started going there, I never really knew what I wanted to do,” Reyes said. He remembers struggling to put himself out there in terms of applying and interviewing for jobs, but eventually landed an internship at the neighborhood house, planning activities for younger kids. Once he started working, he even convinced his friends to get internships as well.

Reyes graduates from Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy June 27 and will attend Bronx Community College in the fall.

The Riverdale Neighborhood House is funded by federal, state and city funds, although Nunez states much of the internship program is funded with private money. 

Many would presume that because of its location in Riverdale, the center may receive more resources than other areas of the Bronx. Nunez, who lives and raised her children in the community, said that is a misconception.

“When people hear the word ‘Riverdale,’ they think that you live in the affluent neighborhood,” she said. “But there are a lot of families who have to work and are just a paycheck away from having to look for supportive services.”

More often than not, the center works with young people who do not live in the immediate area, Nunez said. Many come from the South Bronx, East Bronx, and Yonkers. As long as they can get to the site, Nunez said, they always are welcomed.

“That’s one thing about RNH, they’ve always been very inclusive,” youth development specialist Olivares said. “That’s why they’ve been able to maintain the saying ‘home away from home.’”