Using a youth development approach, San Francisco YouthWorks seeks to achieve the following goals:
- Provide high school students with an opportunity to explore careers in public service
- Help YouthWorks interns develop leadership and job skills
- Encourage the success of YouthWorks interns and mentors by providing ongoing assistance, troubleshooting, and support
Each year, over 300 high school students are accepted into the YouthWorks program and are placed with mentors in city government departments including the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Department, the District Attorney’s Office, the Fire Department, and the Public Defender’s Office. SF YouthWorks exemplifies President Obama’s call for “a new era in service,” giving public sector employees the opportunity to nurture interns’ career goals and teach them important job skills.
To ensure that interns are maximizing their learning, SF YouthWorks staff members monitor each intern’s progress, facilitate regular workshops, and provide ongoing career and life skills counseling.
The Japanese Community Youth Council, a nonprofit community organization that serves the children, youth and families in San Francisco, administers the San Francisco YouthWorks program. Since 1997, over 4,500 students have gone through the YouthWorks program.
San Francisco YouthWorks currently places interns with the following city government agencies and departments:
- Asian Art Museum
- Assessor/Recorder
- Assessment Appeals Board
- Board of Supervisors
- Building Inspection
- Child Support Services
- City Planning Department
- Controllers Office
- Dept. of Children, Youth and their Families
- Dept. of Public Health
- Dept. of Public Works
- Dept. of Technology
- Dept. on the Status of Women
- District Attorney’s Office
- Elections Department
- Fire Department
- General Services Agency
- Human Services Agency
- Mayor’s Office of Disability
- Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA)
- Police Department
- Port of San Francisco
- Public Defender’s Office
- Public Library
- Public Utilities Commission
- Recreation & Park
- Redevelopment Agency
- San Francisco Airport
- Sherriff’s Department
- Technology
- Treasurer / Tax Collector’s Office
- Youth Commission
