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Learn By Doing

Our Youth Internship Program is a job readiness initiative designed for high-school-age refugees and children of refugees. Youth are assigned to a weekly internship where they hold a job in the BD kitchen, at farmers markets, or with partner-businesses in the greater Providence area. A weekly classroom component brings the youth together to debrief their experiences and learn critical job-readiness and life skills.

Program Details

Our youth program runs for 34 weeks from October to June with weekly seminars and internship shifts requiring approximately a 10 hour commitment per week. Participants earn stipends plus bonuses covered by grant funding, while our business partners provide mentorship and job oversight. Workshops take place at our BD facility, and address topics such as communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving. 

Activities include crafting dream boards, exploring careers, financial planning, writing resumes, and searching and applying for summer work. Our training room is often buzzing with ideas and energy and the snacks are always great!  Internship hours are scheduled for after school or on weekends to accommodate the individual teen’s needs and the businesses’ schedules.

Regular field trips supplement the program and introduce BD teens to the broader American experience. We’ve explored the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, and enjoyed group activities like bowling and kayaking. These outings are designed to foster team-building and strengthen community connections while creating transformative and memorable experiences for everyone involved.

BD YOUTH

Participants represent many languages, ethnicities, cultures, and religions, however they all share a common goal: to navigate the complex experience of being a new American teenager. Many spent their formative years in refugee camps where access to education, food, shelter, and safety was severely limited. Most are from families with minimal income and the youth want to help support their families. Refugee youth carry with them ongoing effects of trauma, and the profound challenge of navigating adolescence between two, often conflicting, cultures. Despite the complexity of their lives, these youth are optimistic, eager to learn, determined to connect with the community, and a joy to teach. 

SUPPORT AND OUTCOMES

Each participant starts the program by completing a needs assessment, which helps inform BD's case management, workshops, and individual meetings. Support might include obtaining work permits, applying for summer jobs, accessing tutoring services, pursuing driver’s education, and navigating college applications.

Graduates emphasize the program's role in building their confidence. Our graduates now serve customers in bustling restaurants, or work in customer service at places like Lang’s Bowlarama, Providence Children’s Museum, and pursue higher education in fields such as criminal justice and neuroscience. 

OUR INTERNSHIP SITE PARTNERS

Support from local business partners is integral to the success of our Youth Internship Program. They provide opportunities for workplace experience that  are key for personal and professional growth. We are grateful for our partners at:

Urban Greens 

Anchor Toffee

Harvest Kitchen at Farm Fresh RI 

Lang’s Bowlarama 

Crown Chicken 

International Cafe 

Ocean State Job Lot 

Dunkin’ Donuts

City Farm 

Aleppo Sweets

Rhed’s Hot Sauce

Groundwork RI 

Seven Stars Bakery 

The Wright Scoop 

If you are interested in becoming a host site for a BD intern, please contact us.

WHAT OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS SAY

Peter at Anchor Toffee:  I believe the biggest growth we observed was the comfort level which both girls achieved in their interaction with us, our other workers, and our customers. They both expressed curiosity about all our processes, and gained confidence in performing all they were asked to do. The program provided much needed help at a time when we dearly needed it. The work that the girls did, finishing truffle wrapping, creating packaging, filling, sealing, all allowed Katie and I to multi-task, and get other projects finished. 

Deja at Rhed’s Hot Sauce: We saw improvement in spoken English, became comfortable with the work environment (taking direction, listening to feedback and adjusting performance). We are able to train potential employees at no cost to us at our slowest time of the year with the opportunity to hire them when our business picks up in the summer.  This is great for a small business!

Rich at City Farm: I really enjoyed working with Beautiful Day again this year!  The graduation party was really fun and it was nice to meet other students, see their projects, and meet other partners.  Nice COMMUNITY work over there!!!! 

What Our Participats Say: I’m on the shy side. I didn't like to look people in the eye and was so shy to even talk. But they took me to places, like out to Newport at the farmer’s market, and I talked to a lot of people. I talked to people about granola and I got used to it. I had this mindset that I was going to change for the better.

One of the most important things I learned in my internship was about collaboration and giving my best, to have confidence in myself.

I would recommend the program because I learned a lot, I gained valuable work experience, and practiced communication skills that have a positive impact.

OUR CURRICULUM 

Our Youth curriculum continues to evolve. We often modify the scope and sequence of lessons to fit the current cohort’s questions and needs. As the group often has a wide range of English proficiency, youth with more advanced English skills help those with lower level skills.

Explore our Curriculum  

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Contact us

YOUTH INTERNSHIP TRAINING STAFF

Beatrice Ake, Program Manager