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Page 6 August 25, 1982
August 25, 1982 Page 7
Students gain experience from summer jobs
Summer workers get their feet into everything. Alexandria Smi’k (right) and Jewel Van Pelt (center) practice feet painting with daycare
children. This is only one o f the many activities that summer workers help with during the day.
by Marsha Shewczyk
Marking the trail fo r forestry workers is part o f the job o f summer worker Pixie Sanders. This is
Pixie’s first year in the Summer Work Program. She, along with otherfirst year workers have made
trails, piled brush and worked on field crews.
Clerical duties belong to anyone working at the administration building. Gorky Mitchell operates
the switchboard when necessary.
Even though there’s always
much to be done young people
find it difficult to get jobs. They
are considered too young,
to inexperienced and too
irresponsible.
The Summer Work Program
refutes that idea. Young people
are encouraged to work and at
the same time help get their
community in shape. The
student at the same time earns
m o n e y to m e e t s c h o o l
expenses.
Any student age 14 and up is
eligible to participate in this 8-
week work program. This
summer, 151 students worked
at jobs in a variety of fields.
S tu d en ts w ere placed in
forestry, at the Public Health
Service, at the Community
Center, at the water treatment
plant and in the Natural
Resources department. Some
students worked with senior
citizens, some did secretarial
work while others cleared
brush and built fences.
Sum m er workers helped
prepare areas for community
events and then cleaned up
afterwards. Students also acted
as hosts and hostesses at the
hydro dedication.
Fences were built, litter
cleared, trails forged and much
was learned in the process. One
girl who definitely did not want
to go into the woods learned
that it was enjoyable and
worked there when she could.
New careers were explored.
Students were asked at the
beginning of the program what
their interests were. When
possible the student would be
placed according to his or her
interests. But the student is not
allowed to work at the same job
two years in a row, enabling a
wider range of experience.
The wage scale for students
in the Summer Work Program
varies according to their
participation. A first year
summer worker begins with a
$3.35 hourly wage. With each
succeeding year the wage goes
up slightly until in college a
student may be making $6.00
an h o u r. E ach sum m er,
however, must end with a
positive termination.
Students receive direction
throughout the summer in their
temporary career fields from
crew leaders and coordinator
of the Summer Work Program,
Julie Mitchell.
Julie provides counseling to
each worker throughout their
participation in the program.
Each student in the program
must be planning on attending
school the following year. Julie
helps students with forms and
plans for the school year. She
keeps records for the program
among those being attendance
records.
T h o se S u m m e r W o rk
Program students maintaining
perfect attendance are: Ian
Tohet, N atural Resources;
L ym an Jim , C o m m u n ity
Center; Travis Wells, Fire &
Safety; E m erson C ulpus,
Community Center; Maury
Rhoan, Community Center:
Rowena Begay, Legal Aid and
Jimmy George, Fire & Safety.
Spilyay Tymoo photos by
Marsha Shewczyk and Pat Leno
Putting the fence together at the Community Center is summer work crew supervisor
Whitney Miller. Many hot hours were spent in fence construction but the cyclone
structure is a good monument to the fine work done by summer workers.
With the greatest o f ease Jimmy George shows he has learned the
art o f “repelling” down the tower o f the firehall.
Digging holes is a task that takes both time and energy. D avid Lucei (right) and Steven
Andersen worked throughout the summer on the Community Center water system.