Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Michigan offering Jobs for America's Graduates programming; first in the nation

BENTON HARBOR, Ind. -- The Southwest Michigan Chapter of the Boys and Girls Club is the first nationwide to offer Jobs for America’s Graduates programming, pioneered by non-profit, Youth Solutions! 

There’s already a Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates course offered at Benton Harbor High School, but the organization knows it's important to plant seeds for the future as early as possible. 

That’s the goal of moving into the club: getting middle schoolers excited about their futures and the opportunities out there. 

Over 100 kids are currently enrolled, and more than half were formally inducted into JAG at a launch celebration on Tuesday. 

The event offered a chance for the 6th, 7th and 8th grade members to show off different career exploration opportunities they’ve had over the past year. 

This includes things like culinary arts, fashion and textiles; made possible by local professionals in the community donating time for career presentations and demonstrations with the kids. 

The celebration also allowed students to share their commitments to plans after graduation with their parents and the community. 

There will be a celebration each year, as new members continue to enroll in the program. 

The Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Michigan and Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates invite local professionals who want to share more about their careers with local youth to reach out to them. 

If you're interested, contact Jobs for Michigan's Graduates Program Manager, Dan Mathenia at [email protected].