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Third annual program connects students with 32 local employers while building skills, confidence and pathways to future careers
Forty-three local students celebrated a summer of growth, new experiences and professional accomplishments as the Children’s Services Council of Leon County (CSC Leon) marked the completion of its third annual Summer Youth Internship Program.
Students, families, employers and community leaders gathered Aug. 4 at the J.P. Moore Celebration Center for CSC Leon’s End-of-Summer Celebration, recognizing interns who spent the summer gaining paid, hands-on experience at 32 businesses, nonprofit organizations and public agencies across Leon County.
One of CSC Leon’s investments in Youth Success, the Summer Youth Internship Program is designed to give young people more than a summer job. Interns are matched with local employers where they gain real-world experience while participating in professional development, career exploration and opportunities to build the skills and relationships that can help shape their next steps.
The result is an investment not only in young people, but also in Leon County’s future workforce.
Camden Smit, Chief of Staff at Tallahassee State College, delivered the evening’s keynote remarks, encouraging students to recognize the value of the experience they gained over the summer and the opportunities ahead of them. Her message reinforced a central theme of the program: talent exists throughout the community, but young people need access to opportunities that allow that talent to grow.
CSC Leon Chair Darryl E. Jones challenged interns to carry the lessons of the summer forward by continuing to “do the uncommon thing commonly well.” His closing remarks encouraged students to distinguish themselves not simply through extraordinary moments, but through the habits, consistency and commitment they bring to everyday opportunities.
The evening also provided an opportunity to recognize the employers who helped make those experiences possible. Thirty-two organizations opened their workplaces to young people this summer, providing supervision, mentorship and exposure to careers spanning multiple industries and sectors, including education, healthcare, business and nonprofit management, and more.
For many interns, those relationships extended beyond the summer. Several participants received opportunities to continue working with their employers after the internship ended, demonstrating how a summer experience can become a bridge to longer-term employment and professional growth.
Throughout the program, students also participated in career-readiness experiences focused on professional communication, personal branding, resume development, time management, teamwork, financial literacy and emerging workplace technologies. Ten interns earned a prompt engineering certification through Phusion AI as part of the program’s emphasis on preparing students for a changing workforce.
The End-of-Summer Celebration recognized each of the 43 participants for completing the program and premiered a video capturing their experiences at worksites throughout the community. Students completing their first year of the program received certificates and commemorative lapel pins, while returning interns completing a second summer received special recognition in the form of a CSC Leon stole, which will be returned to them when they graduate from high school, signifying them as CSC Leon program graduates.
The celebration served as a milestone for the program’s third year and a reminder of what can happen when a community intentionally invests in its young people.
Learn more about this program at https://cscleon.org/youthinterns/
