Summary of 2015 Leadership Academy

January 29th – 31st, 2015

The 2015 Young Worker Leadership Academy took place January 29-31. Twenty-eight youth participated this year, including four students that returned as youth mentors. Through their participation, they learned how to plan and implement activities to promote education for youth on their workplace rights and ways to advocate for job safety. Five teams completed their community action projects, described below.

College Bound Today/ Montebello High School (Montebello, CA)

• The students presented in front of the Montebello Unified School District Board of Education. Their goal was to promote a resolution from the Board in support of Safe Jobs for Youth Month, to help promote worker safety in the Montebello Unified School District
• The students managed to make a compelling case and the resolution was passed! The district will continue to promote Safe Jobs for Youth Month during the month of May
• The school partnership allowed students to create and display an information board in the main school building about youth rights and responsibilities in the workplace, creating broad awareness among students

“I learned that there can be hazards in every workplace. It is important that you ask your boss questions if you are unsure about how to do something.”

Oxnard High School (Oxnard, CA)

• The Team created a Youth Worker Safety brochure and presented a 45-minute workshop to a class of junior students
• The school has agreed to continue to attach the brochure to all work permits given to students at Oxnard High School
• The group estimates that they reached 25 students and 2 adults

“ It was really surprising knowing how many people don’t know the basic working rights and it felt great working as a team to inform others. It definitely was a great experience.”

Youth Connections (Santa Rosa, CA)

• The group created an informational power point which highlights all the important material learned at the Young Worker Leadership Academy
• Youth Connections not only reached participants at Youth Connections and students at the local high school. They also expanded their efforts and presented at their local Middle School
• The group estimates that they reached approximately 155 students and 14 adults

“ It was a really helpful and exciting experience. I learned about many rights that I didn’t know I had before. I recommend that other youth participate in this Academy. If you don’t know your rights it helps you find out information. It was an awesome experience.”

John R. Wooden High School (Reseda, CA)

• The team created and conducted a 1-hour presentation on young worker rights to two job skills classrooms. The presentation focused on a work scenario with health and safety problems
• At the end of the presentation students commented that the information was very helpful because they have experienced incidents such as the ones presented and now they know what to do in the future
• Through their efforts, they reached 50 students

“The information we gave was very helpful because they said they did not know about their rights. Some of the students weren’t even aware that there are professional labor organizations. They can call if there is a problem in their work place.”

North Monterey County High School (Castroville, CA)

• In order to promote young worker health and safety during Safe Jobs for Youth Month, the team set up an informational booth at their high school
• To help engage their audience the team created a “Do you know your workers’ rights?” survey. Students who completed the survey would enter to win a raffle prize
• The team estimate that they reached 51 students

“I learned many teens do not know about their rights. We want to educate the workers at our school. We need continuous programs to help them stay informed. My experience was an eye opener and I learned so much about my rights”