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LGBT? Need a Job? LYRIC Can Help
by Chris Hayhurst, 06.07.05
"Our goal is to teach you life skills and job skills, and at the same time help you learn about yourself." |
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From the outside, the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, or LYRIC, looks a lot like any other place in San Francisco where teens might come to hang out. Its doors are open, its staff is friendly, and it generally buzzes with the sounds of young people having fun.
Inside, however, things are a bit different. First, almost everyone there is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. After all, LYRIC was intended to support and serve LGBT youth. But second, and perhaps even more importantly, many of its teens share a long-term goal: They want great careers, and they want to know how to get them.
According to Alan Kwok, manager of LYRIC's education and economic development (EED) team, the center is not just a place for LGBT teens to spend time with their peers. It's also a launching pad for anyone with hopes for a promising future. "Our goal is to teach you life skills and job skills, and at the same time help you learn about yourself," says Kwok.
Hard at Work
LYRIC's EED team runs three different programs. The Career Development Program teaches education, work, and leadership skills. Participants work at internships, have access to career counseling, and are linked with mentors in various careers. The internship aspect of the program is known as the "Queer Youth Training Collaborative," or QYTC, and is intended for teens aged 14 to 17. Interns spend three months on the job and are paid California's minimum wage.
Last year, teens gained work experience at more than 15 different nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Planned Parenthood and the youth-run Outlaw Radio, where they learned how to create radio segments that were later broadcast on public radio stations across the country. "Basically, the internships allow you to get a sense of what it's like to work at a nonprofit," says Kwok. "But they also give you an opportunity to explore what you're interested in and your career aspirations."
A few of the program's interns, who come from all over the country, get full-time jobs at their internship sites once they finish school. More often, however, they walk away with a great experience - and something they can use later in life. "I really enjoyed it," says Brenda, 18. "I learned a lot of new skills. I also learned more about nonprofit organizations. And I finally learned how to master a copy machine. It sounds silly, but I always had trouble using one."
A second component of the EED Team is their Employment Training Program. "It's a supplement to our internship opportunities," says Kwok. "We provide training in job skills like resumé and cover-letter writing, time management, financial management, computer use, and interviewing."
The program also offers a "diversity workshop" that tackles such issues as "how to be gay at work." According to Kwok, the topics allow much room for debate: "Should you be out at work or not? When should you be out? And when is it not appropriate to talk about it? There are certain boundaries to what you should and should not talk about with your employers."
...And at School
Of course, most of those at LYRIC are still in school - which brings us to the third part of the EED mission: the Education Services Program. The program provides one-on-one academic advising, college application assistance, scholarship help, and educational counseling and referrals. "We encourage everyone to stay in school until they finish," says Kwok. "Then they should go out and get a good job."
Contact Information
For more information about LYRIC or its various services and training programs, check out its Web site. For details on how you can apply for an internship, write to internships@lyric.org or call the LYRIC Internship Hotline at 415-703-6150, ext. 15. |
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