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Tues day, May 13, 2014 | Madis on, WI: 53.0° F
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New public/priv ate partnership will place teens in sum m er jobs throughout Dane
County
'Larges t youth em ploym ent program w e've ever had'
Judith Davidoff on Thursday 05/08/2014
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W a n da Fu llm or e is a bit sk et ch y on t h e det a ils of t h e Neig h bor h ood
Y ou t h Cor ps job sh e h a d a t a sou t h Ma dison da y ca r e cen t er . It w a s
m or e t h a n fou r deca des a g o, a ft er a ll, w h en sh e w a s a st u den t a t
Mem or ia l Hig h Sch ool. Bu t on e t h in g sh e r em em ber s clea r ly is h ow
it led t o a w or k pr og r a m in W a sh in g t on , D.C., t h e su m m er of
197 2.
"T h e ex per ien ce fr om t h a t pr og r a m w a s ph en om en a l," sa y s
Fu llm or e, 5 8 , w h o la st w eek r et ir ed a ft er r u n n in g t h e fr on t desk of
t h e m a y or 's office for 3 9 y ea r s.
Fu llm or e w a s t a pped for t h e su m m er pr og r a m by Lu cille Loy ce,
w h o h ea ded t h e Neig h bor h ood Y ou t h Cor ps in Da n e Cou n t y .
Fullmore w as tapped for the mayor's
office after getting experience through
a youth jobs program in the 1970s. The
city's new teen employment initiative is
named for her.
Credit:Stuart Levitan
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"Lu cille ca m e t o m y h ou se a n d sa id w e'd lik e y ou t o r epr esen t t h e
cit y ," r eca lls Fu llm or e. "I sa id n o beca u se I w a s g oin g t o g et m y
dr iv er 's licen se." Bu t h er m ot h er in t er v en ed. "Sh e sa id, 'Don 't be a
fool. Y ou sh ou ld do t h is.'"
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Spon sor ed by t h e NA A CP a n d t a r g et ed t o "disa dv a n t a g ed y ou t h ,"
t h e pr og r a m g a v e Fu llm or e ex per ien ce w or k in g in a feder a l a g en cy . Sh e a lso g ot t o m eet st u den t s
fr om a r ou n d t h e cou n t r y , v isit Ha r lem a n d obser v e Con g r ess in a ct ion .
about disabilities and happiness
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is a role model for Madison kids
8. A Dane County couple round up used educational
materials for Third World countries
9. Li Chiao-Ping's Rise Over Run takes view ers to 13
intriguing sites at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
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"I g ot t o see [for m er U.S. Rep.] Sh ir ley Ch ish olm a n d [for m er U.S. Sen .] T ed Ken n edy ," sh e sa y s.
Mor eov er , t h e y ou t h cor ps ex per ien ce pr ov ed k ey t o h er secu r in g t h e posit ion of office cler k in t h e
m a y or 's office. Sh e ser v ed u n der fiv e m a y or s, st a r t in g a n d en din g w it h Pa u l Sog lin .
intriguing sites at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
10. Madison Common Council members peeved by the call for
a vote on Judge Doyle Square
"Sh e w ou ld n ev er h a v e g ot t en t h r ou g h t h e door t o be con sider ed w it h ou t t h a t lim it ed ex per ien ce in a
y ou t h pr og r a m ," sa y s Sog lin , w h o h ir ed Fu llm or e in 1 9 7 5 , t h en a y ou n g h ig h sch ool g r a du a t e a n d
sin g le m ot h er .
"Sh e h a d ev er y t h in g sh e n eeded ex cept ex per ien ce," Sog lin a dds. "Bu t t h e w or k sh e h a d don e pr ior t o
t h a t in dica t ed sh e h a d t h e sk ill set , sh e h a d t h e br a in s, sh e h a d t h e in g en u it y ."
Fu llm or e en ded h er r u n w it h t h e cit y w it h a r et ir em en t ba sh la st w eek a t Mon on a T er r a ce t h a t dr ew
m or e t h a n 5 0 0 collea g u es, elect ed officia ls, fr ien ds a n d fa m ily . T h er e sh e r eflect ed on t h e
Neig h bor h ood Y ou t h Cor ps a n d ot h er a n t i-pov er t y pr og r a m s of t h e 1 9 6 0 s a n d 1 9 7 0 s t h a t g a v e h er
a n d ot h er t een a g er s a leg u p.
"W h y doesn 't t h e g ov er n m en t do m or e t h in g s lik e t h a t ?" sh e a sk ed. "Look a t u s!"
It a ppea r s t h a t Fu llm or e's pa r t in g w ish w ill com e t r u e -- a t lea st on a loca l lev el. T h e cit y of Ma dison
a n d Da n e Cou n t y a r e pa r t of a n ew in it ia t iv e spea r h ea ded by t h e Boy s & Gir ls Clu b of Da n e Cou n t y
t h a t w ill pla ce som e 1 6 0 loca l t een a g er s in pa id in t er n sh ips t h is su m m er .
"A lot of ou r k ids com e fr om low -in com e com m u n it ies a n d a r e t h e fir st in t h eir g en er a t ion t o be on
pa ce t o g o t o colleg e," sa y s Mich a el Joh n son , CEO of t h e Boy s & Gir ls Clu b. "So w e w a n t t h em t o see
w h a t oppor t u n it ies a r e ou t t h er e a n d w or k w it h people w h o w ill g iv e t h em m ea n in g fu l ex per ien ces. It
a lso br in g s in com e in t o t h e h ou seh old."
T h e cit y of Ma dison it self w ill h a v e a m in im u m of 2 1 h ir es for t h e su m m er , sa y s Sog lin . T h e cit y
por t ion of t h e pr og r a m w ill be n a m ed t h e Cit y of Ma dison W a n da Fu llm or e Y ou t h Em ploy m en t
In it ia t iv e.
W it h t h e pr og r a m 's com bin ed pu blic a n d pr iv a t e r esou r ces, a dds Sog lin , "t h is w ill be t h e la r g est
y ou t h em ploy m en t pr og r a m w e'v e ev er h a d."
Mea n i n gfu l em pl oy m en t
Joh n son cr edit s Dem ocr a t ic g u ber n a t or ia l ca n dida t e Ma r y Bu r k e, a cofou n der of t h e colleg e r ea din ess
pr og r a m A V ID/T OPS, w it h pu sh in g t h e Boy s & Gir ls Clu b t o focu s m or e on fin din g em ploy m en t
oppor t u n it ies for k ids.
CUNA Mu t u a l Fou n da t ion follow ed u p w it h a sm a ll g r a n t a few y ea r s a g o for a jobs t r a in in g pr og r a m
t h a t a lso h elped fin a n ce som e jobs for t een s in t h e com m u n it y . "Bu t w e w er e on ly h ir in g 2 0 t o 2 5
k ids, a n d w e r ea lly w a n t ed t o g r ow t h a t ," sa y s Joh n son . A bou t six m on t h s a g o, t h e Boy s & Gir ls Clu b
h ir ed a dedica t ed em ploy ee t o fin d su m m er em ploy m en t for k ids.
In t h e m ea n t im e, t h e cit y w a s m eet in g w it h a r ea ser v ice pr ov ider s on t h e qu est ion of y ou t h a n d
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em ploy m en t , sa y s Sog lin .
"W e iden t ified t h is a s a v er y h ig h pr ior it y , a n d it cor r ela t ed t o w h a t w e w er e h ea r in g fr om
t een a g er s," h e sa y s. "T h ey m a de it v er y clea r t h a t som e k in d of em ploy m en t w a s a h ig h pr ior it y ,
especia lly for k ids in h ou seh olds w h er e pa r en t s w er en 't a ble t o pr ov ide a llow a n ces. Bu t m a n y ju st
w a n t ed t o w or k . T h ey w a n t ed t h e ex per ien ce."
A n d jobs for y ou t h a r e n ot ea sy t o com e by , especia lly for k ids of color . Na t ion a lly , t h e t een
u n em ploy m en t r a t e in 2 0 1 3 w a s 2 5 .1 %, bu t for bla ck t een a g er s it w a s 4 3 %, a ccor din g t o t h e U.S.
Depa r t m en t of La bor . In W iscon sin , t h e u n em ploy m en t r a t e for t een s in cr ea sed fr om 1 5 .5 % in 2 0 0 0
t o 1 9 .8 % in 2 0 1 2 .
"Kids ca n g et jobs a t Bu r g er Kin g a n d McDon a ld's, bu t w e w a n t ed t o con n ect ou r k ids t o pla ces w h er e
t h ey ca n g et a ca r eer ," sa y s Joh n son .
A n d w h er e t h ey w ill be pa id.
"If w or k is t o be v a lu ed, it deser v es com pen sa t ion ," sa y s Sog lin . "A n d a n im por t a n t pa r t of bein g in t h e
w or k for ce is h a v in g t h e r espon sibilit y of m a n a g in g in com e a n d bu dg et in g ."
Em ploy er s a r e a sk ed t o pa y a m in im u m of $9 a n h ou r , bu t som e a r e pa y in g u p t o $1 5 a n h ou r . "I
n ev er m a de t h a t k in d of m on ey u n t il I beca m e a n a du lt ," sa y s Joh n son .
T h e cit y w ill fu n d it s in t er n sh ips fr om a g en cy sa v in g s, sa y s Sog lin . "W e'v e a sk ed cit y a g en cies t o look
a r ou n d t h eir depa r t m en t s. Per h a ps t h ey h a d a v a ca n t posit ion lon g er t h a n a n t icipa t ed. Per h a ps som e
oper a t in g ex pen ses w er e ju st a bit low er t h a n a n t icipa t ed."
Joh n son sa y s t h a t a g r ou p of UW u n der g r a du a t es in sor or it ies h a v e r a ised $8 0 ,0 0 0 t o h elp su ppor t
t h e su m m er in t er n sh ip pr og r a m a n d pa y for su m m er ca m p for y ou n g er k ids. Un it ed W a y of Da n e
Cou n t y is a lso spon sor in g som e k ids t o w or k in loca l com m u n it y cen t er s.
Ch a n ged l i v es
W h ile t h e n ew su m m er in t er n sh ips a r e ba sed on pr og r a m s t h a t ca m e ou t of t h e 1 9 6 0 s' W a r on
Pov er t y , t h er e is on e big differ en ce: Feder a l m on ey n o lon g er h elps fu n d t h em . T h a t m on ey dr ied u p
ov er t h e la st few deca des, t a r g et ed by con ser v a t iv e la w m a k er s a s w a st efu l spen din g .
Bu t t h er e a r e som e sim ila r it ies.
Kids w ill be m a t ch ed, w h er e possible, a ccor din g t o t h eir in t er est s, a n d pr og r a m st a ff w ill h elp t h em
n a v ig a t e a n y pr oblem s t h a t m ig h t a r ise on t h e job.
Loy ce, t h e for m er h ea d of t h e loca l Neig h bor h ood Y ou t h Cor ps, sa y s t h a t ba ck t h en st a ffer s a ssu m ed
disciplin a r y du t ies, bot h t o m a k e su r e t een s a ct ed pr ofession a lly in t h e w or k en v ir on m en t a n d t o
m a k e su r e n o on e pu t t h e en t ir e pr og r a m a t r isk .
"T h e g oa l w a s t o ex pose t h ese k ids t o t h e w or ld of w or k , k eep t h em fr om dr oppin g ou t of sch ool a n d
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h elp t h em g o on t o colleg e a n d g et a decen t job."
A n d it w or k ed, sh e sa y s. "Y ou 'd be a m a zed a t w h a t ca n h a ppen w h en y ou ex pose k ids t o t h in g s in life
t o m a k e t h em pr odu ct iv e. W e ch a n g ed t h eir liv es."
T een s w ill be pla ced in in t er n sh ips in m a r k et in g , sa les, r esea r ch a n d dev elopm en t , fu n dr a isin g ,
m edicin e, a n d a t su m m er ca m ps, sa y s Joh n son . A s for t h e fu t u r e, h e is t h in k in g big .
"T h er e's n o r ea son t h e cit y a n d cou n t y cou ldn 't pu t a t h ou sa n d k ids t o w or k n ex t y ea r ."
It h a s been don e befor e, a ccor din g t o Su sie Hoba r t , a lso a for m er h ea d of t h e Neig h bor h ood Y ou t h
Cor ps. "Ba ck in t h e su m m er of 1 9 7 4 w e pla ced 1 ,0 0 0 t een a g er s in jobs in Da n e Cou n t y ," sh e sa y s,
n ot in g t h e cou n t y 's popu la t ion t h en w a s a bou t h a lf of w h a t it is n ow .
Fu llm or e sa y s sh e is n ot su r e w h a t 's n ex t for h er , bu t feels a "ca llin g " t o sh a r e h er life st or y w it h
ot h er s in som e w a y . Sh e r eca lls on e v isit du r in g h er t im e in t h e m a y or 's office fr om a g r ou p of bla ck
t een a g e g ir ls fr om t h e Ea st Ma dison Com m u n it y Cen t er . Sh e sa y s t h ey k n ew lit t le a bou t h ow
g ov er n m en t w or k ed, or h er r ole in t h e oper a t ion , bu t pa id close a t t en t ion w h en sh e filled t h em in .
"T h ey w er e so ex cit ed a n d t h a n k ed m e," sh e sa y s. "I t old t h em , 'Don 't sell y ou r self sh or t , a n d g o for
y ou r g oa ls. I w a s a y ou n g m ot h er ou t of h ig h sch ool, bu t look w h er e I a m .'"
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