Pathways to Adulthood Initiative
Pathways to Adulthood was created in 2005 to ease that often rocky transition from teen to adult by creating new programs directed specifically towards helping young adults identify prospective career paths. With generous funding from the James Irvine Foundation, the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation has been able to fund exciting new programs in the youth services sector!
The Community Foundation first launched Pathways to Adulthood by convening over 50 youth-serving organizations and young community members to discuss what youth needed.
From this collaborative process, three main interests were defined:
- Career Exploration Opportunities
- Employability Skills Training
- Adult Mentorship
Using these interests as a guide, the Community Foundation, youth service organizations and participating youth worked closely together to create new career development programs for those ages 14-24 who have not yet identified a career path.
Community Collaboration
The Community Foundation has pursued a new approach to grantmaking with Pathways to Adulthood, inviting community members of all backgrounds, ages and sectors to participate in a pro-active partnership.
This type of collaboration has allowed Pathways to Adulthood programs to flourish. The active Community Foundation leadership, valuable expertise of participating community organizations and constructive input of many young members of SLO County have worked together to create programs we can all be proud of.
Program Development and Implementation
INITIAL PROGRAMS
Teens at Work
Atascadero Community LINK received funding from the Community Foundation for its innovative approach to youth services. Teens at Work provides young adolescents with the opportunity to create their own new business. Successful start-up ventures include a recycling collection service serving 50 local merchants, a membership marketing service for the Charles Paddock Zoo, a bakery, and gift card design studio. Teens at Work intends to become a self-sufficient multi-enterprise business within the next 5 years.
Youth Career Exploration and Mentoring Program
Created as a collaboration between Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, local high schools, employers, and service organizations, and funded by the Community Foundation, YCEMP targets high school students who aren’t necessarily looking to pursue higher education, but are highly motivated to explore their future career options. YCEMP’s 13 week program provides a rich opportunity for youth to engage with, observe, and learn from adults in a variety of settings, including a rotation of career site visits, a classroom-based employment skills course, and one-on-one mentor match-ups.
Teens at Work and the Youth Career Exploration and Mentoring Program each received 2 years of transitional funding to build their program sustainability plans.
NEW PROGRAMS
In 2008, additional funding was secured to share the Foundation’s learning during the first three years of the Pathways to Adulthood initiative with additional youth development organizations. The goal was to enhance existing transitional-age youth programs with the elements of career exploration, employability skills training and adult mentorship.
New programs added to the Foundation’s roster of Pathways grantees include:
Bakari Project
In partnership with SLO County Probation, the Bakari Project is a year-long program that transforms the lives of youth who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Centered on the “triangle of success” – community, school, and home – this mentorship program strives to change the youth’s mindset about each of these domains and create positive experiences. Many of these youth are in gangs and are on probation. Pathways to Adulthood funds an employability skills training and career exploration component.
Getting About Town (GAT)
Supported by the Inacee Foundation, the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, and Liberty High School, participants of GAT industry tours have the opportunity to visit 4-6 local businesses in a particular field of interest. This experience is augmented by the addition of personal stories and advice of business owners, teaching youth about ambition, job skills, and business creation.
Lifebound Leadership
Aimed at the career advancement of low-income and minority youth in the county, this program trains and teaches participants about community involvement in a culturally-sensitive environment. This program combines a six-week leadership seminar with a seven-week job readiness program, thus inciting passion for community involvement in youth and teaching participants how to get involved.
One Cool Earth
Springing from the entrepreneurial spirit of Teens at Work, One Cool Earth has partnered with Liberty High School in Paso Robles to develop a student run native plant nursery. Part of the school’s Green Works program, students learn all phases of developing and operating a small business, while growing and selling native plants. The plants will be sold to landscapers, used in habitat restoration, and sold to the public as a self-sustaining program.
Senior Nutrition Program
Seeking to create a mutually beneficial relationship between youth and seniors, this program trains teens in a real work setting. Participants learn a variety of important job skills, in areas such as hospitality, food preparation and money management.
Youth in Action
Serving 60 of the most at-risk youth, ages 14 – 17, currently attending Lucia Mar Unified School District, Youth in Action is a gang and violence prevention program. Another collaborative effort with the SLO County Probation Department, this program seeks to intervene before youth join gangs by offering youth vocational mentoring and job shadowing opportunities.
**For more information, please download our Pathways to Adulthood Brief
