Youth Services
Phone: (314) 644-1913 Fax: (314) 644-0461

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Youth Services

At JESS we begin working with youth while they are still enrolled in special education by offering two opportunities through our Youth Services Program. These programs are open to residents of St. Louis City who are in their last year of high school. JESS Youth Services is operated under a cooperative agreement with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the St. Louis Public Schools, the St. Louis Office for MR&/DD Resources, and SLATE. The objective of the program is to provide work experience outside the classroom.

The first program is the JESS Work Experience Program.
Students are referred to the Youth Services
Program by their Work Experience Counselor at school.
Once enrolled in the program, the JESS Coordinator interviews
the student and discusses appropriate training and career paths
that match the individual's skills, potential, and preferences. The student may choose from training sites that offer a variety of
experiences such as food service, clerical, housekeeping, or childcare. The student attends his/her chosen site once a week
for eight to ten weeks. School credit, upon completion of the
program, is available to most students.

The second opportunity is the JESS/SLATE Youth Program.
High school students between the ages of 16 and 18 who are residents of the City of St. Louis and enrolled with SLATE may also participate in this year-round program.
This program offers monthly contact and resource information to the participants and summer employment. Those in summer jobs work 20 hours per week for six weeks and earn $5.15 an hour. They are supported on the job by a job coach and work in a variety of settings that match their interests and skills.
Once a student completes either the Work Experience or the JESS/SLATE Youth Program, or both programs, JESS is able to continue providing employment support through JESS's Adult Services Program.

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