Anchorage's Youth Employment in Parks held a dinner celebrating the end of the park improvement season.

By Jessica Schultz Pleasant and Seth Pleasant


On August 4, 2023, the families and youth of the Anchorage Youth Employment in Parks (YEP) program gathered for the end of season dinner ceremony. YEP is a joint effort with Anchorage Park Foundation and the Department of Anchorage Parks and Recreation. The crews showed a bond and humor between their teams, as leaders in the crew provided awards based on inside jokes and based on the personality of crew members. The event was led by Anchorage’s Natural Resource Manager Brad Muir and project manager Anne Dubois.


 


 Anchorage’s Natural Resource Manager Brad Muir and project manager Annie Dubois

SOURCE: Jessica Schultz Pleasant, The Conservative Fem

 

According to the Anchorage Municipality website, “The goal of the YEP program is to positively engage a new generation of diverse youth leaders with the environment and the Anchorage community, through meaningful training, employment, and outdoor education.”

Since 2007, YEP has offered employment opportunities for teens to complete the yearly needed park improvement projects. It is a 10-week program scheduled around the yearly school schedule of the Anchorage School District. This season the program employed twenty-seven teens between 16-19 years old. The program does park improvements within 11k acres with 226 parks and 300-miles of walking/biking trails.

“It’s so heartwarming to hear how great our teams are. We ended up with 21 teens in the program. By the end of the program they end up like one unit. A family. They support one another. They really show each other a lot of compassion. They support one another, they help lift each other up on hard days. It’s just really beautiful to see the change and how much they bond and grow throughout the summer.”

Director Mike Braniff, of Anchorage Parks and Recreation addressed the families and YEP members to show gratitude for all the results made by the YEP efforts. He praised the crews for their work at many sites throughout Anchorage. For example, Far North Bicentennial Park, Abbott Loop Park, University Lake, Campbell Tract and Russian Jack.



Director of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Mike Braniff

Source: Jessica Schultz Pleasant, The Conservative Fem


Braniff discussed the impact on the Alaskan ecosystem by foreign species. According to Alaska News Source, “[F]ederal agencies found almost 558,000 acres of spruce beetle damage across Southcentral Alaska, with the overwhelming majority of the damage concentrated in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.”




Source: Dead spruce trees (KTUU)


“We've been working as a Department of Parks and Rec for about four years now. Really intensively removing beetle killed spruce trees that have died. And planting the next generation of trees is a really valuable contribution to also make to the community,” said Braniff.

At the dinner, it appeared the program was another year of success. Many adults believe the YEP program helps teens find comradery and personal growth. Parents were encouraged to introduce themselves and describe the way the program affected their childrens’ lives. The most common responses from family members and friends was the way the teens took on responsibilities, matured and made close friends.

Speaker Beth Northlund, of the non-profit Anchorage Park Foundation, explained to the crowd that they are the “ambassadors” for the YEP program. The foundation aids Anchorage Parks and Recreation through YEP to conduct recruitment, interviews activities and skills training. The foundations operation is supported by “public support and financial resources for parks and trails.”

“You are the ambassadors for this program in your neighborhoods and throughout anchorage into the future. So the more you talk it up, and about what a great experience it was for your teams, the more other people will apply in the future.”

 

Executive Director Beth Northlund of the Anchorage Park Foundation

Source: Anchorage Park Foundation

 

 

In attendance was David Wight, chairman of the Anchorage Park Foundation board.  Wight’s son was once a part of the program as a teen. The next year his son returned as a crew leader. An example of the opportunities available to the teens. Also in attendance was the Director of Philanthropy and Marketing Michelle LeBeau. She undoubtedly uses her skills for the success of the YEP program and the Anchorage Park Foundation.


Chair of the Board of Directors David Wight
Source: Alaska Park Foundation



Director of Philanthropy and Marketing Michelle LeBeau

Source: Anchorage Park Foundation


YEP usually begins yearly in late May and ending in early August. Alaska experienced a long winter this year. According to Alaska News Source, Alaska saw record breaking snow fall this year was. This caused delays to the program’s seasonal projects. Regardless, the teens were said to have done their work “efficiently and ahead of deadline.”


 

The ceremony ended with the awards for community service and outstanding crew member. Senior crew member Enzio Rangel, 17, received the Community Service award in front of the cheering crew members and their parents. Rangel plans to continue community service by attending the University of Firefighting.

 

Enzio Rangel

Source: Jessica Schultz Pleasant, The Conservative Fem

“My main interest is firefighting. That's what I plan to do after high school. I'm gonna go to the University of Firefighting up in Fairbanks,” said Rangel. He is interested in working with the Anchorage and Wasilla fire departments.

The award for Crew Member of the Year was Ally Hitchings, 16, in her first year of service in the YEP program. Hitchings enjoyed the opportunity to be outdoors as she learned important job skills needed for future employment. Hitchings says she learned, “Leadership, for sure. And, like just communicating with people.”

Ally Hitchings

Source: Jessica Schultz Pleasant, The Conservative Fem

The program prepares the youth for many professions outside environmental conservation. Hitchings sees her future in specialty trades allowing her to work with her hands. “{I}’m leaning more into like trades at the moment…like electrician or carpenter.”

Kale Spencer, 17, was a first year crew member. He talked about the program as if already preparing for the next year’s opportunity. Spencer found himself learning the important lesson of how to adapt to different situations.



 


Kale Spencer and Enzio Rangel

Source: Jessica Schultz Pleasant, The Conservative Fem.

 

“I would like to have a career in welding and heavy operating equipment. I want to go work at the Northern Slope.” Spencer saw the physical aspect of the YEP program as a benefit to be fit for the jobs he wants to enter into.

According to the Municipality, YEP believes teens benefit in multiple ways working within the program:

Youth Employment in Parks:

  • ​Creates a meaningful "first job" experience and career pathway for diverse youth to work in the outdoors and natural resources fields.
  • Exposes youth to the outdoors and connect them with nature to support healthy lifestyles.
  • Provides youth with community action skills and character development so they may become effective citizens.
  • Improves community through enhanced recreation opportunities, parks, and public spaces.

Teens are required to meet certain requirements to join the program:

  • A resident of the Municipality of Anchorage
  • Turn in your own application and contact Parks and Recreation staff yourself. A parent or guardian should not do it for you. This is one way we determine if you are ready for work!
  • 16-19 years old
  • Completed or pursuing your high school or GED education

 

YEP crews are able to shadow workers on the job. The youth may meet very important people in Alaska. This may result in future employment connections. For example, Anchorage Chief of police Michael Kerle and officer Edgar Citron took a moment to meet with some young men in the YEP program.


Left to right: Jayson Pickens, Police Chief Michael Kerle, Ben Jensen, Seth Pleasant and Officer Edgar Citron

Source: Seth Pleasant, first year crew member

 

Seen above, Seth Pleasant, 16, joined YEP for the first time this year. He expressed how YEP can teach skills that can cross over to all career paths. “From what I’ve learned in this program, is the work ethic I’ve developed, and that work ethic is important to any job. Whether you’re a line cook at McDonald’s. Whether you’re moving cargo at a shipping dock. It doesn’t matter what job you’re working, that work ethic is important.”

The personalized award Seth won was named “No, Thank You”. The background story behind the title made this writer fight against tears. This writer raised Seth to be a southern gentleman due to living in Tennessee his whole life. The story behind the award comes from park and trail users thanking the YEP workers. Seth was seen as extremely polite and personable. When thanked, Seth would tell the park and trail users, “Thank you for using our trails.”

For full disclosure, this writer’s son is Seth Pleasant. This writer is answering the call asked by YEP to share news of the program with others in the community. In doing so, there will be more teens benefiting from the program. YEP will continue its work each year and needs word of mouth help to find teens interested in the program.

As Seth’s mother, there was an interest in how Seth would perform at his first job outside of charitable work. Hoping there would be lifelong friendships created. This writer and Seth moved to Alaska just before the Covid lockdowns. Seth was just starting to make friends when schools shut down. Covid was an opportunity to teach Seth how to fish for knowledge. How to look for answers. He strengthened his reading and writing skills and found an interest in criminal law classes that he began at 14 years old. Seth was easy to teach due to his inquisitive mind. He soaked up information like a sponge. 

When he finally returned to school, he impressed the staff at King Tech. It was a blessing he found King Tech, because the school teaches a lot of similar skills reinforced through YEP. Both aimed at preparing teens for the world after high school. Seth finally began to make friends through school. He found friendship through YEP.

This summer was Seth’s first year with YEP. He showed he could tough it out with the aches and bumps from the manual labor. The most valuable outcome for this writer was the way Seth made friends. Having him ask to go hang out with these new friends was so heartwarming. Finally, there was the possibility Seth might have a regular high school experience. It was feared Covid restrictions would deny Seth and his peers what generations before them have had, the American high school experience.

With Seth’s newly made friends, he has been going places on his own, and it feels odd. His mother or father should still be holding his hand? He is now a passenger with other teens riding in cars and hanging out at malls. With trust, we hope our teens will make wise decisions. And to choose friends that will keep everyone out of trouble.

This writer rationalized that the teens chosen by YEP had gone through a hiring process. This was a sign the teens were likely responsible and good examples for each other. At this dinner the room was filled with bright teens that carried themselves with confidence and purpose. The Anchorage Youth Employment in Parks pogram is a great opportunity. The skills developed by the teens are only the beginning of how wonderful YEP is for Anchorage teens and the community.

YEP has been a changing factor for Seth and other Anchorage teens since 2007. Parks and trails are restored and built each year by the hands of Anchorage teens. But the greatest achievements of the program are the teens learning building blocks for lifelong success.

Check out the YEP website for future opportunities. Click here: Parks and Recreation Youth Employment in Parks (muni.org)

 




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