What are your past & present experiences with YouthWorks?
Our office has had great experiences with our YouthWorks interns, and it hasn’t always been about answering the phones (although there’s been a lot of that!). From our office, YouthWorks interns have helped pass environmental legislation, run multi-lingual constituent outreach efforts, and even baked award-winning desserts!
Why is it important to your office to have a YouthWorks intern?
Members of the Board of Supervisors have a whole lot of work, and we don’t have as many resources as you might think (only two legislative assistants work in each Supervisor office.) So we rely heavily on the work of interns and volunteers to help with legislation, reach out to constituents, run our offices, and, yes, answer the phones. While YouthWorks interns tend to be the youngest working in our offices, they also tend to be the most diligent and some of the most grounded in the communities we serve. Besides, we all have to be on better behavior when we are mentoring young people working in our offices!
Why do you think YouthWorks is important to high school students interested in careers within city government?
For the young people who want to make a difference in their communities, local government can be a great place to begin to make that change. As a young person, I can remember being told that I was the future. I couldn’t have disagreed more–I believed I was the present.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about having a YW intern at their office?
Young people aren’t the future, they’re the present! Get yourself a YouthWorks intern!