Purpose Pays
Our Purpose Pays program is demonstrating the value and virtue of meaningful employment. Internships in our Delray Beach community provide examples of how students can have an impact on their city and introduce them to local role models.
The EJS Project’s Purpose Pays internship program, generously funded by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, provides a summer work experience for youth ages fifteen to eighteen. Interns earn between $10-$15 per hour and work 10-20 hours per week. We build on the strengths of each participant and incorporate personal development principles into the program, including communication skills, accountability, teamwork and initiative. During 2020, twelve students worked at six different businesses, including Community Greening, Achievement Centers for Children & Families, Healthier Delray Beach, Hollywood Glam Salon and the Chamber of Commerce. Interns were hired by their employers or another organization thanks the experience they gained through the program.
Goals
- To explore the career interests of youth, and developing their work readiness skills and competencies.
- To learn about earning, saving and investing, spending, borrowing, and protecting their finances.
Milestones
Job Experience
Each intern is responsible for making sure that they make it to work on time, dress appropriately, and make sure their time sheets are complete at the end of the week.
Transition
We want each of our interns to eventually start transitioning from the summer internship into a full-time job once they gain the work experience from the Purpose Pays program.
Testimonials
Thaika Promaphile’s experience at the Achievement Centers for Children & Families under Michael Gulley gave her the perspective our funder, Eric Aquino at Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, values most—confidence in a bright future.
Thaika:
“My internship gave me a glimpse of what it is to have a real job and opportunities. It helped me build my time management, patience, communication and teamwork skills. The EJS Project encouraged me to always try my best and put my best foot forward. Achievement Centers and the EJS Project made sure I had opportunities that matched my interests and skills. Now that I have a job at Chick fil A, I can see how much my internship helped me. I’m thankful for the EJS Project. They prepare us for the real world.”
Eric:
“The EJS Project has shown time and again their desire to help their area in Delray and invest in students’ lives in a way that sticks. Purpose Pays is not just a typical mentoring program. They are instilling productive values in the students to set them up for future success in school and in their future career path and giving them the skills for social mobility. EJS is a shining example of highlighting the value of the resources that are in a community. They are showing people on the outside that they have the ability to grow the next generation.”