YOUTH ACTIVITIES




SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIP

The League's summer Intern, Onya Solomon, worked with Co-COO of Voter Service, Peter Larr. He received this award from Alex Payan and Dave Thomas, the Manager of Rye Town Internship Program.


The Model American Community Internship program was created in 2012 in response to community comments to provide more employment and work experience for the youth in our community.  Under the umbrella of the “Model American Community” program, Town Supervisor Joseph Carvin wanted to create a program that would employ Town youth, provide real life work experience and assist non-profit organizations within the town.

·       The internship program is limited to Town of Rye High School students who have working papers.
       The program will match High School students with community organizations and houses of worship in the Town for a 6-week internship from July to August.
       Students will become familiar with local organizations that benefit our community.
       During the first week the students will participate in a job-readiness workshop conducted by the Town.  The workshop will include classes on job search skills, resume writing and interviewing.
       Students receive Microsoft Office training at the Family Services of Westchester Tech Center.
       The internship will also feature international mentors from Manhattanville College.
       Students complete weekly progress reports with their mentors
       Possible Internship projects include research on the African American Cemetery, Document Scanning and Storage for the Town of Rye and general research.
This program will provide our youth with the appropriate business programs that expose the students to the day-to-day workings of organizations and businesses.  This type of experience should and needs to be expanded and continued with the support of the community at large.

“It probably was one of the best experiences that has been initiated by the Town because of the ethnic diversity that it provided within the program in terms of the youth themselves” – John Reavis – Former NAACP President

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


Blind Brook High School Student
Selected as Recipient of 
2015 Student Civic Achievement Award  


Sam Zarkower
Samuel ("Sam") Zarkower, an 11th grader at Blind Brook High School, has been chosen to receive the League's 2015 Student Civic Achievement Award. This award is given annually by the League to a high school student who lives in and attends a high school in the City of Rye, Villages of Rye Brook and Port Chester, or the Rye Neck section of the Town of Rye, in recognition of the student's overall contributions to his or her school and community in the areas of civic engagement, advocacy, leadership or voter education.  
            
Sam is the Vice President of Junior States America, founder and member of his school's Debate Team, has participated for three years in the Tools for Change research project sponsored in part by the League and the Town of Rye and is currently serving as a teaching assistant, is a member of his school's Student Congress, is a three year member of Model United Nations, volunteers at a soup kitchen and is a peer tutor. This summer Sam will go the south side of Chicago with the goal of introducing a character education and leadership program to the schools as an alternative to the gun violence that has taken too many young lives in that area. 
             
In his application essay, Sam commented, "... I am drawn to civic engagement, politics and advocacy because they are fundamental to our nation's foundation and have made us what we are today and will determine what we will become in the future."   
             
We congratulate Sam on being the recipient of the League's 2015 Student Civic Achievement Award.