Community Connections - Teen Summer Experience
Program Overview

“We really liked the job and volunteer opportunities and the staff were very nice. The Via staff really seemed to know my son after he attended just a few times. I am definitely interested in my son coming back for future summers.” ~ Parent

Via Teen Summer Experience facilitates relationships between young adults and the communities in which they live, connecting teens to their community through recreational, social, volunteer and educational activities.  Via Teen Summer Experience is an intensive 11-week program, with opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities that includes job shadowing and career counseling, volunteer activities in a variety of inclusive settings, and a series of recreational and team-building activities.

The teen years are critical to developing the social skills and peer networks that lead to success in young adult life, career development and independence. Via Teen Summer Experience provides young adults ages, 14 to 21, with educational, vocational and recreational activities in the community.

Exciting Opportunities...
Via partners with more than 75 small and large employers and 42 local agencies and institutions of higher education throughout the Lehigh Valley.  Through these partnerships, Via Teen Summer Experience provides opportunities for teens and young adults to participate in:

• Inclusive learning and volunteer activities
• Research post-secondary educational opportunities
• Attend non-credit classes and recreational activities with their peers
• Complete career interest inventories
• Job shadow, job site visits and career exploration
• Mock interviews with Human Resource managers at Lehigh Valley companies
• Resume preparation
• Recreational activities including swimming and sports
• Excursions (Martin Guitar, NorthStar Adventure, Ungerer, St. Luke’s Hospital, Crayola Factory, Eagles Training Camp and more).

Focus On You...
Via Teen Summer Experience works individually with each teen and their family to develop educational, recreational and vocational goals for their summer program.  The goals focus on the individual interests of the teen and center on developing skills and experiences that further develop their social and vocational skill sets, as they prepare to transition from school to adult life.

Teens and young adults will have the opportunity to develop their social skills, experience vocational exploration through volunteering and research career opportunities.  All of these skills help prepare young adults to become successful members of the community and workforce upon their graduation.

For more information or to register, please contact:
Lisa Musselman, Via Community Connections Director
L.Musselman@ViaNet.org | 610-317-8000 x431