Seattle Youth Employment Program’s Impact on the Community and Young Dreams

2021 was different from everyone else. Since we’ve had a global pandemic for over a year, the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) had to adapt to a hybrid environment when Seattle started to open up again. Interns between the ages of 16 and 24 gained experience with various organizations across the city over the summer.

From environmental work to media production, I talked to some interns about their experiences with some of this year’s employers.

Institute for Multimedia Resources and Training

For Ilham and Ikram, their experience was unlike any other. Both worked closely with their Supervisor Assaye at the Multimedia Resources and Training Institute (MMRTI) in the Central District. MMRTI is a “not for profit, non-political institute founded by a group of professionals, technologists, educators, parents and youth in the greater Seattle area to help the underserved immigrant youth in the community to succeed in multimedia technology locally, regionally, and worldwide. ”It was developed in 2004 from a multimedia project sponsored by the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association. When combined with the Ethio Youth Media (EYM) television program in 2006, it expanded its service to the larger community of young migrants, reflecting on activities and issues that affect young people most. The EYM is now continuing its program and values ​​by teaching young people how to broadcast on television and become future community leaders. Ethio Youth Media TV is broadcast every week on Sundays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Tuesdays from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on SCAN Cable 77/21.

With the pandemic, the interns are working in a hybrid state. Ilham believes she gained a lot of knowledge during her internship trip as she mainly focused on filming, editing and photography.

Title card for a documentary via Digital Access on Yesler Terrace

Ikram was happy to be able to work on the creation of two documentaries. One is about “the impact of COVID 19 on the Yesler Terrace community,” she said. “The other program I worked on was the Digital Navigators, a youth-led program that provides resources for digital access to the Yesler Terrace residence.”

Your supervisor, Assaye Abunie, says the program is a great opportunity for young adults to get involved. “We need more social engagement and young people are full of knowledge about media and technology. They are good to have and they have been very helpful. ”MMRTI plans to continue hosting interns and giving young adults a voice and representing their community.

You can check out the amazing work these two young interns have contributed to on MMRTI’s YouTube channel:

Duwamish Valley Youth Corps

Max, Liam, Sibakhan, Andrew, and An worked with the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, a program led by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. They all first got to know SYEP through their family members or through a school counselor and had no previous experience with the program.

As each day changes in different tasks, it offers them the opportunity to stay connected in their community in an environmentally conscious way. They work Monday through Thursday, with Monday being a job lab day to learn more about people who work in various jobs that promote environmental protection. On Tuesdays, there are restoration work, “like clearing blackberry bushes and learning about our location,” said Max. On Wednesdays, they hear from a guest speaker and do other restoration work. “And on Thursdays there are educational excursions to learn more about our environment and the changes.”

With an emphasis on environmental protection and restoration, these interns had hands-on experience of physical work outdoors. Andrew’s fondest memory was research in the water. “We transferred seaweed from one area to another. We did that and it was cool to learn how to remove and replant invasive species. “

Sibakhan shared that this experience was an eye opener and a chance to learn things they didn’t really know about before. “We went to Georgetown where they got this whole area that is about building local things and metal art, which is what I like.”

Since the internships were in an area of ​​interest chosen by the young people, everyone was made aware of a possible long-term career in this area. Liam admired the different possible careers the internship could lead to in the future. “I don’t think that’s exactly what I want to pursue,” he said, referring to the physical work, but he would like to use what he has learned from this experience for other jobs. “A future job that we will [heard] of people would be like bioengineering and landscaping, which I think suits me better. “

Looking back on all of the incredible work the interns have done, An believes this internship is valuable. “It gave me a lot of information about the environment and how to restore Seattle,” he said. He also recommends other eligible youth to apply to SYEP as it is a great opportunity to explore possible career paths and make new friends.

Tilth alliance

Yasin, an intern at Tilth Alliance, came to SYEP to gain experience and make new contacts. Working closely with Kerri, his manager, he worked on several different projects ranging from working with the marketing programs at Tilth to the physical work of weighing products and communicating with customers.

Initially, Yasin wasn’t interested in urban farming or environmental protection since he was studying physics, but he developed an interest in it. After learning transferable skills such as communication, organization, and management, he came out of his own shell with the help of Kerri and gained confidence, which motivated him to try new things. “I really enjoy [Yasin’s] Perspective, ”she says. “It’s fun to see everything with different eyes, and that’s the best.”

As Yasin’s skills grow, he accepted an offer to extend his internship with the Tilth Alliance after SYEP ended so that he could continue to support the team with food management assistance. Tilth Alliance highlights sustainable food and educates local communities about food justice across the Seattle area.

(from left to right) Ren (hiding in the bushes), Kerri, Lexa, Coral and then Yasin and DJ. Yasin & DJ are both SYEP interns.

Next steps for SYEP

The SYEP program plans to take a break in the fall of 2021 as it learns from the changes in recent years in order to focus again on supporting young careers. Exciting updates are planned! However, it will reopen this November for applications for a program starting winter 2022. If you’re looking to gain a lifetime of experience and explore potential careers, subscribe to the notification mailing list now for updates.

* Blog post author Jody Wong was also an intern at SYEP this summer! She spent six weeks with HSD’s communications team learning about blogging, editing reports, and supporting Age Friendly Seattle’s virtual events.