Miami Proud: Broward parks' program teaches underserved students life skill
FORT LAUDERDALE - Students across Broward County are getting the chance to become leaders within their communities all thanks to a program inside the parks system.
The students gain work experience and a sense of belonging to set them up for future success, and at the same time they are making 'Miami Proud'.
A recent clean-up at the Dillard Green Space may have seemed like a simple task but it was part of teaching a group of students life skills they can take with them into the future.
"They have different workshops and trainings and they also learn about the different operations that parks and recreations have all over the county," said Valeria Wolberg with Broward County Parks & Recreation.
It's the third year of the New Gen Leaders program within the park system. The program provides entry-level paid part-time work for students ages 16 to 18 in underserved Broward neighborhoods.
Students like Antwanet Hill and Heaven Muwwakil who both have big dreams.
"How to talk to people, you know, skills on how to talk to people," said Hill.
"It's teaching me how to work with kids. How to be around kids and just to have a job. What it's like having a job," said Muwwakil.
That responsibility is meant to help the student workers thrive and plan for their futures.
"Unfortunately a lot of our kids come from a complex relationship with families and the communities," said Wolberg. "The idea is to help them decide what they choose to do after they graduate, help them to do that transition, and if they want to keep being employed by Broward County in general not just parks."
The young professionals not only earn money while working, but also complete life skills, financial literacy, and mindfulness training.
"We have great kids with great talent but they don't have the opportunity to develop that. So we are trying to expose them to as much as we can so they can choose and know why they choose a future for themselves," said Wolberg.
"When I was a teenager we didn't have this type of resources to one, make money at an early age and two, have tangible resources we can use to whether to go to college or trades or any type of advancement in life," said James Ross, a park aide.
It's a job that doesn't feel like work, one of the reasons the students say they keep coming back.
"I like to talk to people. I like communicating. I like communion. So this is a really space to do it. We're teenagers and we all get to work together and at the end of the day we all have fun," said Muwwakil.
The program is supported by the Broward County Board of Commissioners who set aside funding for it.
When the program was started there were 11 part-time student staff. It then grew to 16 and they are soon adding five more spots.
Park staff say they hope they can form new partnerships to continue to expand and help as many underserved students as possible.
