Human Services Center Corporation (HSCC)

Youth

Mission

To ensure positive activities and direction for area youth.

	To provide youth opportunities with stipends to expose youth to employment skills, community service, and positive mentoring experiences
	To provide youth exposure to career opportunities through job shadowing and career exploitation.

Contact Info

For more information on the Working on Youth, contact the Mon Valley Providers Council at 412-829-7112 or rsmith@hscc-mvpc.org.

Current Projects

The annual Super Expo is held on a Saturday in April to combine all aspects of the MVPC. The 2004 event was a huge success with over 1,000 people attaining pertinent youth information. This event will be held on a Saturday each spring at Century III Mall in West Mifflin, most likely from 10:00am-4:00pm. Check the News and Events link for more information.

ME Incorporated is a youth entrepreneurial seminar held each February at Auberle in McKeesport.

A Youth Services Directory was published in September of 2004 and is available on-line under the Publications link. It is anticipated to be published annually with printed versions available in September.

Current Co-chairs

	Lynn Miklos, Project Elect
	Carrie Samarin, Mon Yough Community Services

Meeting Information

The Working Group on Youth meets monthly on the third Thursday from 9:00am - 10:30am at Auberle in McKeesport, PA.

Links

	MVPC Youth Quick Pocket Guide (PDF)
	YouthWorks, Inc.
	Pennsylvania Career Link

History

In 1990, the School-to-Community Working Group was started to link social service providers and their resources to schools in their communities. Indirectly, the education system provides an outstanding vehicle for addressing issues of families and youth at-risk because of its direct access to you on a daily basis for three quarters of the year. Despite in-roads into two school districts (Woodland Hills and East Allegheny), the majority of schools were uncooperative at best. In 1994, the Steering Committee decided to shift the focus of the Group to the Youth directly.

This led to the implementation of the Youth Opportunity Stipends in 1995. Designed to provide youth with paid opportunities to expose them to employment skills, community service, and positive mentoring experiences, In 1999, 32 youth participated in six community projects. Experiences over the past five years have included: working with a summer camp for disadvantaged youth, serving food to needy persons, creating community gardens, assisting with a family movie night, developing a community history quilt, and many others.

Last Modified: May 22, 2008