Teens work through the heat

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Members of one SEEDS Youth Corps team this summer are drawn from Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan's Elements program, which teaches independent living skills to youth in transition. The seven-member team worked last week on trail maintenance at the Grand Traverse Commons; pictured are members Ally and Patrick. Special to the Record-Eagle/Carol South

July 30, 2012

Teens work through the heat

SEEDS team consists of seven foster children

By Carol South Special to the Record-Eagle The Record Eagle Mon Jul 30, 2012, 07:14 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — This summer's heat failed to wilt a team of seven young people who are learning on-the-job skills, habits and attitudes for adult success.

Seven foster teens formed one of SEEDS' Youth Corps teams this summer. The group has worked at various, mostly outdoor, projects around the region. Throughout the heat wave, they hauled gravel and dirt to maintain trails, hung drywall, built split-rail fencing, removed invasive species and worked on construction projects.

The SEEDS Youth Corps team features foster care youth drawn from Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan's Elements program, which teaches independent living skills for youth in transition. The partnership between SEEDS and Child and Family Services is in its second year.

Since June 15, the team has sweated four days a week at sites including the Grand Traverse Commons, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Grand Traverse Conservation District.

Landing paid work that provides both meaningful, on-the-job training and independent living skills is tough for teens in this economy. Participants, who range in age from 15 to 18, are with the team through the end of August.

Investing sweat equity into growing up has been worth it, said Ally, 17.

"It's hard work, but I've learned a lot from it and got a lot of maturity out of it," she said. "It physically, mentally and emotionally breaks you down and then builds you up again."

Patrick, 18, appreciated that the work kept him moving, active and in shape, particularly since he will soon attend United States Army basic training.

"The hardest things have been the heat and dealing with everybody and staying hydrated," he said.

SEEDS After School program director Bill Watson modeled the Youth Corps on a real job, with emphasis on green jobs.

Participants are picked up at 7:45 a.m. at a central location, start work at 8 and go until 4 p.m. They are expected to be on time and ready to work hard. A few recreational activities are scheduled, but the bulk of time is spent on the job, trying out and mastering skills for the future.

"They're working an average of 32 hours a week," said Watson, who also directs other regional SEEDS Youth Corps teams. "They're just a great group of kids."

Different musical tastes, varied backgrounds and interests have slowly faded as participants sweated and worked, shared and created. The differences are still there but the bonds of accomplishment grew stronger.

"They've definitely come together as a team," said team leader Jason Hill. "We've worked in tough conditions over the past couple of weeks, but they've held up."

For more information about Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan, call 946-8975 or visit www.cfsnwmi.org. For more information about SEEDS, see www.ecoseeds.org.