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Teens 4 Good is a Federation of Neighborhood Centers program that builds long-term, working relationships with promising students attending Philadelphia’s public high schools, beginning in the ninth grade. The Teens 4 Good program provides high school students with the skills, confidence and support needed to enter and complete college, attain and sustain challenging jobs, perform effectively in the workplace, and make choices that lead to successful and meaningful lives. Teens 4 Good provides students with a year-round curriculum of character, leadership, teamwork and life skills development, one-on-one mentoring, career exploration, cultural opportunities, and hands-on entrepreneurial activities through a teen-run gardening, nutrition and health business. The mission statement created by the teens is, “To make a difference in the world by inspiring all teens to give back to their communities. Teens were put in this world for a reason, and we are here to help them realize that they have the power and the responsibility to create a positive future.”
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Through hands-on educational activities, youth learn practical skills about how to create, build and sustain a socially responsible business. They learn how to: plant, nurture, harvest, package, and distribute vegetables, herbs and fruit; 2) sell produce and garden related products (i.e. cookbooks, calendars) to local communities, restaurants and stores; 3) design and conduct nutrition programs; 4) design marketing materials (i.e. website, newsletters, brochures); 5) manage finances; 6) communicate effectively; 7) apply character strengths to solve problems; and 8) build healthy relationships through teamwork, networking, sales presentations, and customer service.
Teens 4 Good will expand to five regions of Philadelphia, each housing a Youth Entrepreneurship Incubator. The 5 regions will serve all of Philadelphia’s inner city high schools and will serve as a national model that can be replicated in other cities.
For more info, visit the Teens 4 Good website.
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