AZYouthForce is powered by our dedicated leadership team, staff, and a network of exceptional education, business, and community partners.

Set Up A Student For Success

Started in 2018, AZYouthForce is a youth workforce development program through Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley. Teens develop valuable professional skills through our workforce academy and are matched to paid internships offered by AZYouthForce Employer Partners.

How does it work?

AZYouthForce trains and connects Valley teens to paid internships with quality employers across diverse sectors and locations. This fast-growing program creates equity for teens by opening doors to paid internships and helping them explore and develop their career and educational plans.

Interns

Teens (ages 16-19) gain valuable, paid work experience and positive relationships with mentors to inspire career and educational goals while earning money and continuing their professional growth and education. They must be enrolled students.

Training

Our AZYF Academy dedicates over 30 hours to develop essential skills of our interns, including customer service, the importance of mindset, resume writing, public speaking, and financial literacy to prepare teens for their internships.

Management

Teens apply for paid internships with our Employer Partners, and they work with an AZYouthForce Internship Case Manager who coaches them throughout their placement to build workplace resilience and ensure success.

Follow-Up

Interns receive a minimum of one year of follow-up from our program. We encourage graduates of our program to stay in touch and rely on our support and guidance for as long as they need.

Employer Partner Benefits:

  • Staff growth and development as they mentor AZYouthForce interns.
  • The training, on-boarding and continued mentoring from the well-established AZYouthForce program creates a smooth, easy process and transition as interns enter the workplace.
  • The program provides high-quality applicants, who may become long-term employees.
  • Public relations opportunities via our social feeds, press releases and collateral built promoting the program.

We're currently working with Partners to provide NEW internships!

Contact Samantha Hansen, Director of Workforce Development & Career Pathways
602.343.1251 or ​samantha.hansen@bgcaz.org

Current Business Partners can contact Josh Stine at josh.stine@bgcaz.org

Employer Partner Questions

AZYF helps your company save time, money, and resources. We bring an innovative perspective, and diversity to your workplace, and a unique opportunity to give back to your community.