DC Youth Program Wraps for 12,000 Students as Teens Say Jobs Changed Their Futures
Updated
Updated · WJLA · Aug 7
DC Youth Program Wraps for 12,000 Students as Teens Say Jobs Changed Their Futures
3 articles · Updated · WJLA · Aug 7
Summary
Friday marked the final day of the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, with teens clocking out at the Department of Parks and Recreation's end-of-summer showcase in Washington.
More than 12,000 students took part citywide, including nearly 1,000 placed with DPR, where participants said the jobs exposed them to new parts of the city and pushed them to stick with unfamiliar work.
Dior Clemons, 15, said her Destination D.C. role helped her discover museums and neighborhoods she had never experienced and taught her not to give up after a difficult start.
Jordan Williams, a Ballou High School graduate, said DPR's communications program helped prepare him for Hampton University, where he will study mass communications and broadcast journalism on a full-ride Magic Johnson scholarship.
Teens at the showcase said the program gave them a clearer picture of their future, and graduating participants said they hope to return to their neighborhoods to inspire younger students.