Teens in Public Service Programs
TIPS program goals are:
1) to educate young leaders in job skills, leadership, service and social awareness;
2) to provide our nonprofit partner organizations, which continue to face diminishing financial resources, with bright, energetic interns during the summer months at no cost to their organization;
3) to bring together local teens and adult business and community leaders through leadership trainings, service projects, and other TIPS events.
TIPS addresses the following needs in the community:
1) A need to address the lack of awareness and responsibility in today's youth for the welfare and social needs of their communities;
2) A need that our teens need to secure employment in a recessive economy;
3) A need to help nonprofit service agencies in the Greater Seattle area, many suffering from limited staffing, funding and fewer volunteers while facing increased demand for their services.
TIPS has an outstanding relationship with all of our non-profit partners. In the 13 years, we have placed our interns at over 125 non-profit organizations in the Seattle area. The list of non-profits asking to receive TIPS interns as well as the number of interested teens continues to grow. The program has continuously proven to make a life-changing impact in the life of the teen while simultaneously benefiting all of our non-profit partners and their clients. Ultimately, TIPS strengthens the global chain of community service.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
TIPS has just completed its 14th summer of placing interns. 53 teens ages from 15- 19 years of age from across King County serving 51 non profit organizations. Our teen interns serve a wide array of non-profit agencies in the Puget Sound Area. Our partner organizations provide health care, human services, educational and cultural enrichment, community development, and environmental education. Our interns worked over 10,000 service hours benefiting the community.
In the past five years, the number of applicants for our program has nearly doubled, increasing from 220 applicants in 2006 to 417 applicants in 2009. In 2010, TIPS received 550 applications for 53 positions. We believe the trend will continue. Funding for the TIPS program has not kept pace with the demand.