(FLINT, Mich., Dec. 1, 2014) – They’ve spent the past month learning to stand up and stand out. Now 170 teens will take the ceremonial walk they’ve earned as the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce hosts its TeenQuest program graduation on Thursday, Dec. 4.
Hundreds of proud parents and other family members will gather with the Flint & Genesee students who have successfully completed the fall session of TeenQuest during a ceremony at 6 p.m. at Riverfront Banquet Center, 1 W. Riverfront Center, in downtown Flint.
Managed by the Flint & Genesee Chamber, TeenQuest is a five-week training program designed to help Flint & Genesee high school students ages 14-18 prepare for business success in the future. Students learn the basics of teamwork, business etiquette, work ethics, communication, goal setting and conflict resolution.
“What better gift heading into the holiday season than knowing that these young people gained a new business skill set that will put them a step ahead of their peers when it comes time to find a job next summer?” said Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President, Education and Training, Flint & Genesee Chamber.
TeenQuest is a pre-requisite for employment through the Summer Youth Initiative (SYI), which matches employers with hundreds of TeenQuest graduates for summer employment.
The TeenQuest fall session that concluded this week is the second of four scheduled for the 2014-15 school year. The afterschool training was held at five area locations. Upcoming sessions include: Jan. 12-Feb. 12 and Feb. 23-March 26.
Students attend the TeenQuest program two hours per day after school, Monday through Thursday, over the five-week period.
Nonprofit organizations and businesses that hire TeenQuest graduates are eligible to have 50 percent to 100 percent of costs subsidized. This past summer, more than 600 youths ages 14-18 were employed through SYI, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and some for-profit businesses.
For more information about TeenQuest, contact Hunyady at or (810) 600-1412.
About the Summer Youth Initiative and TeenQuest
The Summer Youth Initiative is a program that helps Flint-area teens find paid summer jobs. It’s open to students who’ve completed the TeenQuest afterschool program, which provides pre-employment and leadership training to students ages 14 to 19 to help them succeed in college and the 21st century workplace. Both programs are administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. To apply or learn more, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/teenquest.