Deer Park Progress - News
Children gain work experience through city’s summer program
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| Mayor Wayne Riddle has recently recognized the Volunteers in Parks and Recreation for their work at City Hall. |
By KOSAKU NARIOKA
This summer a handful of children before working age, typically 12-15 years old, gained some work experience through the city-coordinated program, Volunteers in Parks and Recreation, sparing their hours and hours for the various city activities.
The children who went through the application and interview process were given a schedule each week with their tasks. Sometimes they worked every day and sometimes they worked a couple of hours here and there, said Rene McBride, assistant recreation supervisor for the city who coordinated the program.
She said she tries to be sure to schedule them for something that they showed interests in during the application and interview process, but “they are also told that, like any job, they might have a task that you don’t exactly care for.”
The assistant recreation supervisor said the children are asked to be on time and call in when they can’t make it and at the end of each task they receive “a grade” from their supervisor, so they can know how well they worked and how they can improve.
“We try to do it in a positive way so that they can learn from this and they can see what it’s like to have a job – to be responsible, to be on time and to do the best job they can, but also hopefully [they] come away from with some skill,” McBride said.
About two weeks ago, at the end of the summer V.I.P.A.R. program, Mayor Wayne Riddle recognized their work for the city.
After the ceremony, they had a full day of “having fun and not having to work,” she said.
The children who went through the application and interview process were given a schedule each week with their tasks. Sometimes they worked every day and sometimes they worked a couple of hours here and there, said Rene McBride, assistant recreation supervisor for the city who coordinated the program.
She said she tries to be sure to schedule them for something that they showed interests in during the application and interview process, but “they are also told that, like any job, they might have a task that you don’t exactly care for.”
The assistant recreation supervisor said the children are asked to be on time and call in when they can’t make it and at the end of each task they receive “a grade” from their supervisor, so they can know how well they worked and how they can improve.
“We try to do it in a positive way so that they can learn from this and they can see what it’s like to have a job – to be responsible, to be on time and to do the best job they can, but also hopefully [they] come away from with some skill,” McBride said.
About two weeks ago, at the end of the summer V.I.P.A.R. program, Mayor Wayne Riddle recognized their work for the city.
After the ceremony, they had a full day of “having fun and not having to work,” she said.
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