August 1, 2025
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Thanks to funding from Community Foundation of the Ozarks Youth Empowerment funding, our Summer Youth Pre-Employment Program participants have been learning restaurant skills and serving up some delicious meals for staff - breakfast burritos, turkey wraps, grilled cheese, yogurt parfaits, and baked cookies just to name a few. There's still a week to go - we can't wait to see the skills learned by this year's class.
The program goals aim to set youth who have disabilities up for success by providing hands on experiences and real-world tours that will help them in their future career paths.
Equip youth participants with foundational skills in food preparation, serving etiquette, customer service, and basic money handling through hands-on, guided activities.
Anticipated Outcome: Participants will demonstrate increased confidence and ability in at least one targeted skill area, as measured through staff observation and participant self-assessment.
Increase participants’ confidence and preparedness for entry-level food service or customer service roles by providing real-world practice and structured learning opportunities.
Anticipated Outcome: Participants will report increased confidence in workplace readiness skills such as communication, teamwork, and task completion, with measurable improvement across pre- and post-program evaluations.
Foster meaningful connections between youth participants and local industry professionals through guest-led workshops and interactive sessions.
At the completing of the program, participants will gain exposure to career pathways and community resources, with increased awareness of employment opportunities and support systems available to them.
To date, the program has demonstrated that combining structured skill-building, real-world application, and community engagement creates a strong foundation for helping youth with disabilities move toward greater independence and employment readiness.
Empower: abilities appreciates the opportunity to work with The Community Foundation of the Ozarks through the Youth in the Workforce program. Plans are already underway for next year's course.
