Join Sylvia's Fundraiser for STL Youth Jobs

Join me in supporting real-world learning and economic empowerment for St. Louis youth! 

As many of you know, I serve on the Board of Directors for STL Youth Jobs (STLYJ). While STLYJ is primarily known for the job readiness training, job coaching, and paid summer jobs we provide to 300 to 400 St. Louis youth each year, STLYJ also uses a multi-faceted approach to building financial stability (and future economic mobility) among those we serve.

This approach includes the following:

• Summer jobs that pay youth $15 an hour for our Summer Work Experience (SWE) participants and $17 an hour for young adults participating in our Career Accelerator Pathway (CAP, a more advanced program than SWE)
• Connections to youth-friendly checking and savings accounts with our partnering financial institutions
• A matched savings opportunity (matching SWE and CAP youth deposits into their savings accounts) offered in partnership with the St. Louis Community Credit Union.
• Financial education that includes the importance of savings/assets, establishing credit and maintaining good credit scores, developing (and following) personal budgets, and other approaches to smart money management.

One of the new activities added to our economic empowerment opportunities last summer included a Reality Fair for the young adults participating in CAP.

Based on a model from the FDIC, this volunteer-staffed event provided opportunities to practice real-world decision making in managing a household budget while dealing with both day-to-day expenses and unexpected costs. Local offices of JP Morgan Chase not only sponsored the event (which was held on the campus of St. Louis Community College) but also provided the team of volunteers who staffed the event. The event was not only eye-opening for those who participated—it was also a lot of fun!

The Reality Fair, and other critical components of STLYJ’s programming, are simply not possible without community support.

THANThis is what occurs when you invest in St. Louis youth through STLYJ: practical skills, exposure to careers and occupations that match participants’ strengths, interests, and values, and a stronger path forward to financial stability and future economic mobility.

As a Board Member of STL Youth Jobs, if you’re looking for a way to make a meaningful impact in the St. Louis community, I encourage you to support STLYJ this Give STL Day. “Due to big cuts in public funding for nonprofits as well as increases in the wages we pay to our participants, your support is needed now more than ever. Every donation counts!”

Here are 2 photos from the Reality Fair:

THANK YOU for you consideration and investment into our future in STL!