Volunteer
CAREER MENTORING INITIATIVE
Urgent, Inc.’s Rites of Passage Youth Empowerment Academy empowers girls with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to transition more successfully from adolescence to adulthood. We invite the business community to help us in this effort by becoming a career mentor. Girls ages 14-18 have gone through an 18 hour employability skills training where they explored possible career choices and learned basic business etiquette.
Now our girls are seeking opportunities to explore those possible career paths and gain some practical work experience that is relevant to their personal skills, talents and interest. Employers you have the chance to better prepare your future workforce by offering meaningful learning opportunities.
What is required?
The main requirement is an interest in working with or helping the youth in our community! There are varying levels of involvement ranging from hosting a few youth for a morning job shadow, being a guest speaker or become internship host agency. Worksites must be safe and accessible. Active supervision and appropriate training, if necessary, should be provided.
What is involved with hosting an intern?
Internships are designed to provide youth with an in-depth exploration of a career by working closely with employers doing real work and observing various activities within an industry. Youth spend between 10-20 hours per week during a 4-6 week period between June and July at their work site. Actual schedules are created with their supervisor. Urgent, Inc. staff will visit the worksite throughout the internship to facilitate a positve experience for both the agency and the intern. Employers are also requested to complete a short Intern Evaluation form for each intern midway and at the end of the internship.
Compensation
Interns will have the opportunity to earn a stipend will completing their internship. Urgent, Inc. is responsible for this stipend. Host agencies may also choose to match or exceed our stipend and extend the length of the internship period. Employers are not expected to hire the intern, however Host Agencies may choose to do so at the end of the formal internship period.
How will Urgent, Inc. support me?
The quality of our services is our most important goal. As such, Urgent, Inc. staff works closely with employers and youth to ensure that both parties have a productive and rewarding experience in any program activity. Staff will pre-screen youth in advance of sending them to an employer and follow youth closely by visiting the worksite and checking in with employers weekly. Any problems or concerns with youth are addressed by staff while keeping employers informed and involved as they desire.
What do youth expect from employers?
Youth bring a lot of enthusiasm to the workplace. In return, youth expect to have someone available to answer questions that arise as they perform their assigned duties. Youth expect to learn enough about a a specific job, business or industry to be able to perform useful and productive tasks that positively contribute to the business or organization during the course of the internship.
How do I get started?
Please download the Host Agency Forms and complete the Career Mentor Application. Once completed, please fax to 305-576-2089. Once recieved the Internship Coordinator will contat you. If you have more questions, please contact Urgent, Inc. at 305-576-3084 or by email: office@urgentinc.org to hear about various ways to get involved or to let us know how you can help.
Community Partnerships
The Rites of Passage Program is generously funded by The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of funding created by voter referendum in 2002 to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future – because all children are our children.
Internship Stipends have been made possible by The Children's Trust, Miami Dade County Bar Association, New Horizons Committee and the Women’s Fund of Miami Dade County.