YOUTH PROGRAMS
Enriching Education and Preparing Our Workforce
Meeting the needs of our region's growing workforce with K-12 programs and trainings
Flint & Genesee Education & Talent is working to increase the number of students in the career and college pipelines through programs like YouthQuest, TeenQuest, and Summer Youth Initiative (SYI).
By building a solid foundation of personal, academic, and career-oriented skills, the programs offered through Education & Talent prepare the current and future workforce in Flint & Genesee.
K-12 PROGRAMMING
YouthQuest
YouthQuest is an innovative afterschool enrichment program for K-12 students in Flint & Genesee, offered at no cost to students.
TeenQuest
For students in grades 9-12, TeenQuest is designed to teach important skills needed to get and keep a job.
Summer Youth Initiative
The Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) program helps more than 500 qualified teens find employment each year.
Classroom Workshops
Employer Resources
Job & Resource Fair
KEY RESULTS
students received YouthQuest programming in 2021
graduates of TeenQuest sessions
care packages and 450 school supply kits distributed to YouthQuest students and families
After SYI
Marcell Simmons
After completing the TeenQuest pre-employment program, Marcell Simmons snagged a summer job with Kayak Flint through Summer Youth Initiative in 2019. Although he graduated out of SYI soon after, the local nonprofit hired Marcell back on the following summer to serve as a rental supervisor. The Mott Community College student did so well in that position that he was promoted to lead supervisor in 2021. Here, he talks about the important work experience he’s gotten through SYI and Kayak Flint and how that’s prepared him for his future.