Hartford Youth Employment Program
2019 marks the seventeenth year of this unique program which provides Hartford high school students with the opportunity to develop job skills, learn about Hartford’s cultural and historical assets, and contribute to the future of our historic sites. Students earn wages and prepare for college and careers, and Connecticut Landmarks benefits from their perspective as we redefine how to present our properties.
Students can progress through levels of deepening content and work experience during the year: the summer intensive Youth Employment Program and the Student Leadership internship which helps plan and run the following year’s program. YEP students help staff house programs from the Sunset Sounds Concerts to our First Night celebration. Program graduates are invited to apply for Museum Interpreter positions at the Butler-McCook House & Garden. Continuing on to this next level of employment depends on demonstrated student interest and competency.
Each year, Connecticut Landmarks recruits up to nine students for our six-week 2019 summer program. The students undergo an application and interview process to obtain the feel of typical steps in retaining employment as young adults. During the summer program, the teens will spend 15-20 hours/week visiting Hartford area cultural institutions as part of their Hartford history curriculum, interviewing local business and cultural professionals and leaders, and reflecting on these experiences. The program introduces students to the non-profit world and to their community through hands-on projects; to Hartford’s and CT’s cultural resources through field trips and research; to the career world through work experience and a variety of professional guest speakers. Teens keep journals of their experiences, both as writing practice and to analyze these experiences.
Stay tuned for the 2020 Application Deadline!
This summer, five Youth Employment Students (YEP) and two Student Leaders made the Amos Bull House and Butler-McCook House & Garden in Hartford their home.
A sincere thank you to our funders for making this program possible:
- Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee
- The Hartford
- Charles Nelson Robinson Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee
- The Patricia & Charles Walker Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
- Greater Hartford Arts Council’s United Arts Campaign
Hear what the former YEP Students have to say!
“I wanted to learn more about Connecticut’s history and the well-known names in Connecticut. I learned and visited Connecticut homes that I have heard of before, which was very interesting to me. The theme for the summer has been Storytelling. To follow this theme, we have done many creative writing activities that let us tell stories about ourselves and the places we have visited this summer. My favorite field trip was the New London Customs House because of the Amistad. The Amistad is a very cool exhibit and I would definitely recommend it to someone.I would encourage anyone who is interested in the program to apply to YEP.”
– Christian Thomas
“My name is Diana Alvarado and I am a senior at Hartford Public High School Law and Government Academy. The CT Landmarks YEP gets youth more involved in Connecticut’s history and provides a foundation for career ideas. Through the program, I got a better understanding of Connecticut. I’ve lived here my whole life and I knew very little. My favorite field trip was the Butler-McCook House; I can really connect with the McCook’s as a Hartford resident. I also loved our trip to New London to see the Amistad and a living history performance by Tammy Denease.”
– Diana Alvarado
“My name is Deontay Douglas and I am a junior at Hartford Public High School Law and Government Academy. The program gave me more historical information and hands-on history work. I would definitely recommend the program to anyone that loves history or likes to work hard. This summer, I learned a lot about Connecticut history and got prepared for school. It was just a great opportunity! The capstone project was very cool-it had a lot of interesting parts and I enjoyed the research.”
– Deontay Douglas
“[YEP] teaches students not only about where they live but also how to move forward after this program. I learned to be able to speak to others not only from my heart but also from my knowledge.[I will] carry this newfound confidence to not only school and another job, but in my daily life as well.We had quite a few guest speakers take time out of their day for us. Their inspirational words and amazing advice will be remembered. I would especially like to thank Chief Charles Teale for his passion in teaching us not only to know but to understand the importance of getting an education. The Nathan Hale Homestead was really fun since I enjoyed learning about our hero and running through the corn maze.”
– Sarah Ghonaim