Each spring Kawerak begins to promote the Summer Youth Work Program (SYP), looking for youth eager to gain paid work experience. The program is open to tribally enrolled youth ages 14-24 in the Bering Strait Region, and jobs vary depending on the location and what worksites are available in the community.
This year in 2025 the program had 21 participants working in 12 communities including Brevig Mission, Elim, Gambell, Golovin, Koyuk, Nome, Savoonga, Shishmaref, St Michael, Wales, Shaktoolik and Teller. For most participants, this was their first opportunity to make money for themselves.
“It’s an exciting time for them,” says SYP staff Lena Danner. “Most participants are gaining their first work experience of any kind through our program. They are learning about job interviews, completing timecards, time management, clocking in and out, taxes, paychecks and valuable local work experience. Summer Youth Work Program is a building block for future employment success.”
Participant Ciara Fagerstrom, who worked at the Golovin Bay Trading Company as a stocker was looking forward to “earning money for my trip to Anchorage.” Learning financial independence is a big milestone for youth moving toward adulthood.
Ciara was able to have a job thanks to Heidi Varga, owner of the Golovin Bay Trading Company. Varga reflected, “I was thinking back of myself when I was younger and the limited places that employ you. I wanted to be one of the places that employ kids, knowing how hard it is to find work in the village.”
Having worksites that offer meaningful work experience and mentorship is essential to the program’s success. Another successful Golovin worksite is at the City. Joann works at the City of Golovin and taught participant Charles Lewis III to do a wide variety of tasks. “I let them learn,” she says. Joann, a former SYP participant herself, knows the value of getting real skills in the workplace when you’re young. Charles got experience learning skills most adults don’t have the opportunity to learn: receipts, deposits, quarterly reports, payroll taxes, taking customer payments, working with quickbooks, inventory, taxes, and fueling customers up. Charles, who was confident in his math skills, took easily to these tasks saying, “Nothing was hard.” Joann’s committed mentorship not only prepared Charles for this tasks at hand, but will also help prepare Charles to be a valuable employee at any entity in the future.
Kawerak SYP staff encourage all businesses in the region to reach out about becoming a worksite. Kawerak pays the youth worker, and in exchange asks for the investment in their learning and growing in their workforce career. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a worksite please reach out to SYP Coordinator Brandolyn Ahyakak at 907-443-4462 or email training@kawerak.org.
Those of you who will be 14-24 next year in 2026, keep your eyes out for the application period in Spring 2026l! The program comes highly recommended by former participants, Ciara said, “I’m already telling my brother about working SYP!”
For more information about the Summer Youth Work Program visit kawerak.org/syp. Follow Kawerak Inc on Facebook for SYP recruitment posts. You can also contact us at 907-443-4462 or email training@kawerak.org. We look forward to seeing you next year!