Commissioner Arriola placed a referral to the Finance and Resiliency Committee (FERC) on the May 25, 2022 City Commission Meeting agenda to consider funding the Police Athletic League’s (PAL) Counselor-In-Training Summer Work Program for Summer 2022.

The Miami Beach Police Department’s (MBPD) PAL’s Counselor-In-Training (CIT) Summer Work Program is a program that aims to hire up to 25 teenagers aged from 14 to 16 years old to assist the City of Miami Beach’s Parks and Recreation Department in carrying out its summer camp and event programming. The program provides both assistance to the Parks and Recreation staff over the summer months when summer activities are well-attended as well as a safe and positive environment for the participating teens to become involved in the community, be role models for younger children, and begin to develop essential life and professional skills.

Because many employers require applicants to be at least 17 years of age, the program has chosen to target 14- to 16-year-olds in a two-fold style program. First, the program aims to provide the participants with the building blocks for life skills. As this is the first employment experience for most of the youth involved, the participants are immersed from beginning to end. The employees are required to dress professionally and are taken through an interview process as well as a resume-writing workshop. Each youth employed earns $10 per hour for 25 hours per week and as such, they are also provided with financial planning sessions via a financial advisor who walks them through the banking system and the opening of a checking account. The Parks and Recreation counselors also participate in the daily activities of the participants one-on-one and teach them the ins and outs of being a counselor with the City.

Secondly, the program acts as in a juvenile crime diversion capacity by providing alternative activities and fulfilling employment in a productive, supervised, and safe atmosphere. The youth also volunteer a few hours a week and receive community service hours, a mandatory requirement to earn a high school degree.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

In order to fund the 10-week 2022 CIT program, the PAL is requesting a total of $66,875 with the following breakdown:

• 1 youth employee ($10.00/hour, 25 hours/week over 10 weeks) = $2500 per week
• 25 youth employees at $2,500 = $62,500
• Taxes (.07%) = $4,375

While this funding request had not been previously included in the annual budget as a line item, the success and growth of the program has now prompted the need to secure regular funding and the Department will seek to include it in future operating budgets on a recurring basis.

The PAL’s Counselor-In-Training Summer Work Program has been a total success and a strong win for the City as is demonstrated by its highest number of applications and hires to date and an increased rate in hire. For the first time in the 30-year history of the program, participation has reached 25 members. Prior years saw at most 15 individuals hired. The program also has shown 98% rate of hire by alumni of the program who are later employed by the City of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department, with the remaining 2% joining the military or enrolling in higher education.

With the City’s support, the continued success and growth of the Counselor-In-Training Summer Work Program can be guaranteed with positive impacts increasingly felt throughout the community.