Urban S.T.E.P.S. guides youth to adulthood
Fort Wayne Urban League’s Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. helps youth transition to self-sufficiency -
Story and photos by Vince Robinson
As the school year winds down, many teenagers are looking for ways to make money over the summer. Organizers of the Fort Wayne Urban League’s Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. program say that’s one major reason why interest in the program picks up at this time of year. However, S.T.E.P.S. provides far more than job placement services. Instead of simply moving teens into jobs, Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. helps youth advance into adulthood and a productive future.
“A lot of kids think it’s just about working a summer job but it’s so much more than that,” says April Charlton, S.T.E.P.S. Lead Case Manager.
While Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. does provide paid, summer employment and internship opportunities, S.T.E.P.S. is not strictly a job placement service nor is it simply a summer program. Instead, S.T.E.P.S., which stands for Self-sufficiency Training Education Placement Services, is a comprehensive yearlong program of training and services designed to help teens successfully transition to adulthood. Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. is specifically designed to help at-risk, low-income youth between the ages of 16 to 21 who are challenged with significant barriers to employment and/or educational opportunities. Those challenges might include low reading or math skills, pregnancy or being a teen parent, or having dropped out of school. Charlton says S.T.E.P.S. offers a comprehensive approach to helping at-risk teens step into self-sufficiency.
“We’re trying to make them self-sufficient, so we’re doing everything we can to help them stay on the straight and narrow,” Charlton says.
The program offers a wide range of services including free tutoring and remediation for students seeking to earn their diploma or GED; job placement opportunities; internships and job shadowing; self-improvement and self-esteem classes; college enrollment and preparation; and much more.
“We have money for each student for scholarships for when they’re ready to go to school,” Charlton says. “We offer bus passes for them to get around if they need to get to jobs. Once they’re in the program, we pay for that. We have a housing program if they’re homeless.”
For eligible youth, the process starts with an application. Next, Charlton does what she calls an “interest interview.”
“I want to lay eyes on the student,” Charlton explains. “I want to see how they interact with me. I also ask them their expectations and goals. Not everyone is called back.”
Ervin Upshaw, 20, was one of the young people who was called back. Since graduating high school in 2008, he has been unsure about what to do next with his life. A family member referred Upshaw to the program, and after meeting with Charlton, Upshaw enrolled in the Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. Program with the goal of deciding on a career and continuing his education.
“April has really been helping me decide what field I want to go into. That’s really what the program is all about,” Upshaw explains. “I’ve already referred some friends to the program.”
Once Charlton decides a young person is serious and ready for the program, he or she undergoes an assessment and orientation. While some learning takes place in a group setting, the real strength of the program comes from the one-on-one guidance that addresses each young person’s personal strengths and challenges. With the help of a case manager, youth develop an Individual Service Plan that outlines their personal goals and their strategies to achieve those goals. To stay in the program and in order to be successful, students are required to complete all of the personalized goals designated in their Individual Service Plan. They must also complete their assigned hours of training, tutoring, assessments and job shadowing or mentoring. Equally important is each student’s communication with their case manager to report their progress or concerns.
“Every month, I want to hear from them,” Charlton explains. “Either they’ll contact me by telephone or I’ll call them in for an interview. We talk about whether they’re meeting their goals. I also ask if there’s anything going on at home, because I am a case manager. Someone might say, ‘Oh, my car broke down’ or ‘There’s nobody to watch my kids.’ I’ll then find out all the resources that we have here at the Fort Wayne Urban League and throughout the community to help them.”
In addition to skills training, classes and tutoring, participants are matched with a paid summer internship or employment opportunity. Students are rigorously trained and prepared before entering the workplace and Charlton personally matches students with job/internship opportunities based on their skills, interests and talents.
Makendra Mobley, 19, was referred to Urban Youth S.T.E.P.S. by her roommate who had been through the program previously. Mobley, a sophomore at IPFW, is pursuing a career in nursing. While her primary motivation was to find a summer job, she soon learned that the S.T.E.P.S. program could also help her develop her communication skills as well as provide experience working with young children.
“The program helps you keep your mind focused on the right things,” Mobley says. “It helps you gain a lot of skills. It’s just a great program overall.”
The program even touches on personal finances. Before participants cash their first employment check, they learn beginning money management including opening a bank account and basic budgeting.
“This is an opportunity for them to learn about things they might not hear about in school or at home,” Charlton says.
Even as the program grows, mostly through referrals, Charlton says S.T.E.P.S. sees far more young women then young men.
“We have double the number of girls than guys,” Charlton notes.
Charlton hopes to attract more at-risk young men to the program by getting out the word that S.T.E.P.S. is staffed by people who have a genuine interest in helping them succeed in life.
“Not only is it a place where you can learn job skills and finish your education, but there are people here that you can talk to who care about the issues that you’re dealing with in today’s world,” Charlton says.
For more information about S.T.E.P.S., call April Charlton at (260) 745-3100 ext. 34.
