Home ReSource has the opportunity to partner with the International Rescue Committee in Missoula to hire a group of refugee students from Eritrea in our summer Youth Internship Program (YIP) this year!
This hands-on program provides students opportunities for job skills training and community engagement, all while gaining school credit and earning a paycheck. Summer interns work with a mentor to build large-scale community projects with a focus on Zero Waste while gaining concrete skills in retail, green-building, and reuse, as well as communication and teamwork skills and how to navigate a professional setting. As an organization, our main goal is to provide all employees with dignity and respect, and the YIP program places an extra focus on giving youth a meaningful experience where they learn what a job should provide them – things like an orientation and employee manual, but also the opportunity to give and receive constructive feedback – and that they are valued employees, regardless of their age.
The cost for one full-credit, 150-hour internship is $1400, and we are hoping to support 3-4 refugee students this summer. If you would like to support this opportunity, you can donate on our website via paypal. Thank you for your support!
Youth Internship Program (YIP)
Our Youth Internship Program (YIP) is an employment program that aims to engage high school-aged youth in building retail and reuse job skills, understanding the interworking of a nonprofit, and gaining awareness of efforts to create a sustainable community.
An integral part of the internship is the Building Community Project, where students learn building and wood shop skills to provide a useful item for a community member or organization of their choosing. Our 2015 intern, Brandon, built a chess table for the student lounge at Willard High School. He showed a great deal of commitment and attention to detail and turned out quite a beautiful piece of furniture!
Current interns Abby and Miranda are gaining tool skills, exploring the realm of creative reuse, and becoming light bulb experts.
Youth Apprentice Program (YAP)
Our Youth Apprentice Program (YAP) is an employment program that provides on-the-job training in green building skills to young adults and sets them up for future employment success.
In February, our youth apprentices constructed native birdhouses using reclaimed cedar boards. They ripped, cut, sanded, drilled, and branded the wood for 50 birdhouses in 4 days in the Home ReSource shop. During that time, they honed their woodworking skills, learned about production efficiencies, and prepared a product for sale from start to finish.
Along with practical skills, these young people are learning how to work together in a fun, supportive, and creative environment.
Our YAP program is supported in part by the Human ReSource Council.
