Class 10, congrats on all that you have accomplished so far!
The summer is an exciting time at Genesys Works – Houston. In June, we welcomed 260 students of Class 10 from their 8-week training program. For them, the June 13 - August 5 course was a huge step on their path to a bright future. The training equipped them with job and professionals skills that they will need in their meaningful internships, during their senior year of high school, and in their careers. Class 10 represented an increase of 80% (over 2010) in the number of students entering the summer training program, preparing for corporate internships in the fall.
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| Young Professionals bonding through activities at Team up |
Throughout the training program, students engaged in bonding and learning experiences that made their summers worthwhile. By day, Young Professionals were hard at work in the Genesys Works office learning professional and technical skills. But after the first week at Genesys Works, the Young Professionals let loose and engaged in team-building activities at Team Up. During Family Night, families were invited to come out and see what their children had been up to all summer. Our Young Professionals beamed as they demonstrated some of the skills they had learned and mingled with other families and friends. Genesys Works' Young Professionals also built stronger relationships with each other and our staff through Fun Nights, where students and staff competed in sand volleyball, played Pictionary, and enjoyed each other's company.
These group activities fostered a strong community, but it was also the activities in the classroom that helped students to feel empowered and confident, two important emotions that feed into performance in the workplace. Says Adrian Munoz, Young Professional of Class 10, "I became more comfortable with myself and others. My coordinator Lindsay helped us come out of our 'zone'...we all just shared things with each other and stepped out of our comfort zone. At the end of it all, I gained several friendships and more confidence."
Word of the proven success of the Genesys Works model is spreading within the partner schools. This year, Genesys Works-Houston experienced an all-time high in student demand, with more than 600 applicants for summer 2011 internship training. To meet the growth in demand, we doubled our training center capacity this year. In addition to our four classrooms in the downtown training facility, Genesys Works – Houston added two more training rooms downtown and an additional two in the Westside Energy Corridor. The new site increases access to both students and major corporations in the area.
Congratulations, members of Class 10. We recognize the initiative and motivation you showed with your commitment to the Genesys Works program, and to your future; and we wish each of you great success! We are excited to see where the future takes you.
