Youth and Family Education > EPIC Program > T.E.E.N > Summer Youth Empowerment Program

T.E.E.N. (Teen Education and Employment Network)

The T.E.E.N. program is an exciting program designed by and for teens to provide opportunities for educational enrichment, career development, leadership development, and personal and social skills.

Educational Enrichment

Workshop Inc., coordinated by a full time Education Specialist, provides a setting for teens to receive homework help in whatever subject(s) in which they may be having difficulty. Each teen in the program works one on one with the same volunteer tutor each week to ensure a successful tutoring relationship. Workshop, Inc. is where teens set and prepare to achieve their post secondary goals. In Workshop, Inc. teens receive instruction in and practice taking entrance exams, visit college campuses, explore job specific training opportunities and learn about the options available in the US military. Godman Guild is also a practice test site for the Ohio Graduation Test.


Career Development

Students work one on one with a Godman Guild staff member to develop and implement a career path. Attention is given to job readiness training, such as resume writing, and mock interviews. Students also spend time learning money management. Activities are designed to teach students how to use a checking and savings account, balance a checkbook and create and work with a budget. New in the 2006-2007 school year is a mentoring program focused on matching teens with mentors who are in jobs that are in the high-demand/high-growth career clusters in Central Ohio. T.E.E.N. plans to match 50 – 60 teens with volunteer mentors before the end of the school year. This past summer the T.E.E.N. program co-sponsored a summer employment program that provided nearly 200 teens valuable hands on employment training and experience. In an effort to prepare them for future work experience, teens that were 14 and 15 years old spent ten weeks learning the basics of job readiness. Several topics were covered including a money management series, workshops on interviewing skill and technique and leadership development. Teens that were 16-18 years old spent the first two weeks in extensive job readiness training and were then placed into summer work experience opportunities for the rest of the summer. The program was funded by the City of Columbus’s Office of Education, Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, and United Way.

Leadership Development

To ensure that the teen’s voices are being heard by both the staff and the community, Godman Guild’s T.E.E.N. program offers a Youth Leadership Council. The Council serves as an avenue for students to develop leadership skills and provides a strong foundation for future success.

Personal and Social Skill Development

In addition to leadership development, T.E.E.N. also focuses on personal and social skill development. Each teen is paired with an advocate with whom they can set reachable goals. Teens also participate in breakout sessions, where they discuss a variety of topics. Participants in the T.E.E.N. program have the opportunity to travel to places like Washington D.C. and Chicago. These trips allow many teens to experience new places and things while also opening their eyes to new cultures and opportunities. For many teens, these trips are the first of hopefully many more exciting and life-changing adventures that they will have while participating in T.E.E.N.

For more information about the Godman Guild’s Youth and Family Services, please call 614-294-5478 or email youth@godmanguild.org.