Fwd: Applications Open for 2026 Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program: Connecting Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Youth to Paid Work Experience and Career Pathways

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From: District 6 Press Release <PittsburghPA@public.govdelivery.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 20, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Subject: Applications Open for 2026 Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program: Connecting Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Youth to Paid Work Experience and Career Pathways

Share / View as a webpage Applications Open for 2026 Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program: Connecting Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Youth to Paid Work Experience and Career Pathways Pittsburgh, PA – County Executive Sara Innamorato, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, and Partner4Work CEO Rob Cherry joined partners at New Century Careers to announce that applications are open for the 2026 Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program. Young people ages 14–23 can apply now through June 5, 2026.  Each year, Learn & Earn connects youth across Allegheny County to meaningful summer opportunities that build skills, confidence, and pathways to future careers. Since launching in 2014, the program has supported more than 14,000 participants and invested over $15 million in wages, helping to strengthen the region’s future workforce.  "Learn & Earn is an investment in the next generation of Pittsburghers," said Mayor Corey O'Connor. "This program provides the partnerships our young people need to try something new, develop skills, build a network and work with mentors to become our region's next professionals, leaders and entrepreneurs."  Opportunities to Learn, Work, and Advance  Learn & Earn offers a structured pathway designed to meet young people where they are and support their growth over time:  Tier 1: Career Exploration (Age 14)  Youth build foundational skills through interactive workshops, career exploration activities, job shadowing, and industry tours. Participants earn $10/hour for up to 100 hours.  Tier 2: Work Experience (Ages 15–19)  Participants are placed at worksites where they gain hands-on experience, develop workplace skills, and build professional connections while earning $12/hour, working up to 120 hours.  Tier 3: Advancement (Ages 20–23)  Young adults receive up to 150 hours of industry training, with opportunities to earn credentials and connect to full-time employment or registered apprenticeships. Tier 3 participants earn up to $15/hour  This progression allows participants to move from early career exploration to real-world experience and, ultimately, to career-focused training and employment.  “When young people are given the space to learn, try new things, and be supported along the way, you see them grow; not just in skills, but in confidence and in what they believe they can achieve,” said Rob Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work.   “When we invest in that growth, we’re also investing in the future of our communities and our economy”   Businesses Encouraged to Get Involved  Businesses across the region are encouraged to get involved by hosting a Learn & Earn participant. Last year, more than 190 worksites participated, helping provide meaningful work experiences for local youth. Organizations interested in becoming a host site can contact Stephanie Bales at summer@partner4work.org to learn more.  County Executive Sara Innamorato also encouraged businesses to participate, highlighting the positive impact Learn & Earn youth have had within Allegheny County departments. She shared how participants bring fresh perspectives, energy, and new ideas to the workplace, creating meaningful benefits for both young people and employers.  “If we want to strengthen our economy, we need to invest in the talent already here," said County Executive Sara Innamorato. "By connecting young people with diverse mentors early on, we help them build professional roots and see how internships can lead to lasting, sustaining careers right here in our region.”  Apply Now  Applications are open through June 5, 2026. Youth and young adults can learn more and apply at www.jobs4summer.org, or get help applying at locations across Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh.  Businesses Encouraged to Get Involved  To learn more about becoming a worksite, contact Stephanie Bales at summer@partner4work.org.

Stay Connected       Pittsburgh City Council District 6 - Office of R. Daniel Lavelle 414 Grant St, 5th floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2134 District 6 Website

From Perfection to Excellence: How Coaches Inspire Daily Improvement and Belonging

Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, episode #99

 

“Perfection breeds fear. Excellence is just showing up a little better than you did yesterday—because impossible isn’t a word in our world; ‘I.M. possible’ is.”

Coach Pierre Lafontaine breaks down why daily wins, energy, and purposeful environments matter more than perfect facilities. Learn how to spark real progress in swimmers, no matter the pool size.

You’ll discover:

• The power of creating daily, measurable wins for every athlete.

• How coach energy and presence shape a winning culture.

• Why “better today, not perfect” should be your core coaching mantra.

• Simple recovery and programming strategies that keep athletes improving.

• Practical tips for engaging volunteers and optimizing meet day experiences.

Check out this episode!

Google and Health

Goigke announced new tools and partnerships to support your health at The Check Up 2026. At our annual health event, we shared how AI can help spark medical breakthroughs and bring quality healthcare to everyone, everywhere. We’re providing $10 million in funding to help organizations reimagine clinician education in the AI era, and exploring new partnerships with rural health leaders focused on education, care delivery and research. Plus,

Fitbit is making its health tracking even better with expansions to the personal health coach in Public Preview that will give you more personalized advice about your sleep and overall health, the ability to connect your medical records to the Fitbit app, plus new features for cycle health, mental wellbeing and nutrition and water logging.

Building a Culture of Trust and Clear Accountability with Krista Hawkins, former PAWW swimmer

Truth About Leadership & Why Collaboration Beats a Lone Wolf Mentality

In Heavy or Not, The OG Swim Guide, episode #98, we’re blessed to pick up a few flash-back comments as well as present leadership insights from a former competitive swimmer who makes us all proud.

Way to go Krista!

Scott Grates sits down with performance coach, Krista Hawkins, to cover leadership truths, accountability systems, and the importance of holistic self‑care. Her athletic background and the coaching perspectives apply to everyone — from the wee swimmers to CEOs.

Krista explains the important elements that coaches, families and humans should deploy.

Get straight‑forward, actionable insights drawn from Krista’s journey from a shy student just joining the team to a Division‑I athlete and business leader.

• Why the “leader must know everything” myth is a lie and why collaboration matters.

• How clear communication and a solid accountability framework drive consistent results.

• The difference between training (skill‑building) and development (growth) and why both are essential.

• Why physical health, mental wellness, and spiritual practices are non‑negotiable for effective leadership.

• Krista’s step‑by‑step accountability process: role clarity, goal alignment, regular check‑ins, and actionable feedback.

This is part two in a sequence from another podcast, Referrals Done Right with Scott Grates. See Scott’s site, show and the original, full interview, #122

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/122-krista-hawkins-the-leader-you-are-becoming/id1738602897?i=1000758278572

Krista Hawkins' Links:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-legacy-partners
Personal FB - https://www.facebook.com/krista.hawkins.9
Business FB - https://www.facebook.com/FUTURELEGACYPARTNERS
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_kristahawkins_

 

 

Check out this episode!

From Shy Student to Swimmer to Executive Coach: How Coaches Build Unshakable Mental Resilience

Krista and our PAWW Swim Team - flashback with AI

In episode #97 of the podcast, Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we rejoice in the discovery and shout out of another podcast.

Years ago, Krista’s journey to the PAWW swim team went from a terrified 12‑year‑old student, to age-group swimmer, to Division I athletes to today’s high‑level executive advisor.

Come along for the ride and enjoy the flashback with coaching tactics and a story debrief with aid from Notebook AI.

Krista’s growth to and confidence happened, in part, on the team — with Head Coach, Mark Rauterkus. The mental‑skill system translated from the pool deck to the boardroom — and appeared in a podcast episode elsewhere.

Learn:

• How a competitive swim program became the catalyst for Krista’s confidence boost.

• The specific mindset and accountability framework Coach Mark taught her.

• Why raw physical talent alone isn’t enough for peak performance.

• How Krista now applies similar principles to coach thousands of business leaders.

• The broader lesson: elite youth coaching methods can be scaled into powerful executive leadership strategies.

Thanks to Scott Grates, and his Referrals Done Right podcast, episode #122 for the interview with Krista. Hear their voices in Heavy Or Not, #98.

• Show link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/122-krista-hawkins-the-leader-you-are-becoming/id1738602897?i=1000758278572

Krista’s Links:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-legacy-partners
Personal FB - https://www.facebook.com/krista.hawkins.9
Business FB - https://www.facebook.com/FUTURELEGACYPARTNERS
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_kristahawkins_

How Early Sports Psychology Shapes Future Leaders and Influences Whole Industries

Check out this episode!

Greetings from Wilburn

Greetings!

I mistaken left SI out of my original draft. 

June 4​.​ 1:00 – 3:00​. (Patricia's Birthday)​.  ​Memorial Service​East End United​ (EEU) Sanctuary​. 310 Danforth Avenue ​Toronto, ON, M4K 1N6  ​  Thursday June 4, 1-3pm. Live Zoom room stream for the service:  https://bit.ly/Memorial_RevPatTrudeau    PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMUNICATE THIS LINK OUT. 

​June 4. 3:00 - 5:00. Memorial  Reception​. ​​ Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation (NUUC) Sanctuary & Cappuccino Room​. 310 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M4K 1N6

 

TBA – July 5-10. Central East Region Summer Institute (CERSI) Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

https://www.cersiuu.org/

 

July 11​. 4:00 ​- 6:30. PM (RSVP​)​. Rauterkus – Palmer Reception​. Pittsburgh

Wilburn and Donovan will be in Pittsburgh on July 11th and hope you will join them to celebrate Patricia's life. We will be gathering at Mark Rauterkus and Catherine Palmer's home (108 South 12th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203). Please feel free to join us anytime from 4-6:30pm. We'll have time to recount shared moments and stories of Patricia as you are moved. We ask you to RSVP so we can have a sense of the number of individuals who will be joining us. We look forward to spending time with you.

https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eWKT6aukramVlxI

 

July 12​. 2:00 PM. 1st​ Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh Memorial and Reception​. ​605 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213

 

August 2​2​. ​1:00 PM. Unicamp Memorial – Luncheon, Informal Sharing and Fairy Walk after sunset. 638159 Prince of Wales Road, Mulmur ON, L9V 0C5

Take Care!

Wilburn

My hope is that one day soon we will all be free from racism.