1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I am writing today as a current public school educator, a graduate of the Boston Public schools, and a former summer employee of a Boston youth fund job. During several summers in high school, I worked for the New England Aquarium in the visitor education department. This job was funded by the city of Boston. I gained invaluable experience, confidence, and earned money that helped to pay for basic things that I needed. Today, I am a guidance counselor. I see teens struggling. Getting kids motivated for school can be a challenge, but what really excites my students is the prospect of working. laces like Market Basket. Our applications to vocational high schools are up dramatically, and I'm constantly helping students with working papers so that they can seek a job at p They crave this hands-on experience and they also need to earn a wage to help their families. I write today to implore you to restore funding for youth jobs. In this current economy and in a world in which youth mental health is a concern for all of us, this is not a time to cut programs that benefit our youth. We should be supporting our young people as they aim to take their first steps into the working world. We should be helping them find jobs that will allo w them to grow as well as make money. Cutting funding for youth jobs is very short-sighted, and I implore you to reconsider this decision.