Pictured: Ahsen Beceriklier & Sai Nikhil Koppineedi

          VolunteerLEON is the center point for everything volunteering and service related in Leon County. It provides countless volunteer opportunities in a wide variety of fields, giving everyone the chance to gain valuable experiences and serve the Leon County community. Visit the VolunteerLEON website today to view and respond to active needs in the area! 

          The Summer Youth Training Program allows for youth between the ages of 14-24 to gain valuable work experience under a Leon County department. The 5-week program allows youth participants to gain insight into the professional world by learning about resumes, workplace attire, helpful resources, and much more. Youth participants dedicate their first week to professional training at the CareerSource Capital Region to better prepare for their assigned positions.

Youth participants taking the Soft Skills Assessment.

Youth participants engaging in various activities.

          - Overall, 4.8-star rating for the Summer Youth Training Program.

After conducting a series of interviews, we were able to gain a better insight into the experiences of the Summer Youth Training Program participants. 

"My most favorite part about my experience so far is bonding, learning, and being able to explore more about the program, and being immersive in what I do." Romeo Gonzales, 17, Fleet

"I am learning a lot about taking charge of my work and taking responsibility." Lillian Watters, 18, Library Circulation AM

"As an artist getting direct experience in graphic design and community and media relations has been a very valuable experience." Jorden Marik, 21, Community Media Relations

"I enjoyed helping at Story Time Programs and I am glad to gain experience in the workforce." Mabel Higgins, 20, Library - Eastside

Other Testimonies: 

"It's just nice seeing a bit of corporate life and what you're going to be expected to do." -Josh Kumar, 19, Office of Management and Budget

"It's been really great to learn about graphic design at the professional level. I really appreciate being a part of something that impacts citizens directly. For instance, some of the graphics I have worked on informed citizens about county holidays and potential office closures. I have also been able to attend public events where CMR (Community Media Relations) directly impacts citizens like county commission meetings, community events at the library, emergency management, and everything else that CMR does for Leon County. I really enjoyed being a part of this program!" -Jorden Marik, 21, Community Media Relations  

          My name is Ahsen Beceriklier, and I am an incoming senior at the Florida State University majoring in Biomedical Sciences, and I have had the opportunity to intern as a Volunteer Coordinator Assistant. This program has taught me many great thigs about Leon County Volunteer Services while also gaining experience working in a professional environment. I am able to take the skills I've enhanced during this experience and implement them towards my future career. I have thoroughly enjoyed the connections I have made and my ever-growing appreciation for the work of Leon County Volunteer Services. 

          My name is Sai Nikhil Koppineedi and I am an incoming senior at Lincoln High School. I chose this position of Volunteer Coordinator Assistant because I love volunteering, and I dedicate a lot of time to the community. I wanted to further my efforts in volunteering, which is why I decided to be a part of the backbone of volunteer services through this department. I have had the opportunity to develop my work ethic, speed, and multitasking; all of which have allowed me to produce great work in little time. This program has helped me to gain real-world work experience and job-based skills to better prepare me for my future endeavors.