Career Runway program fosters long-term benefits for military youth 3/28/2010
by MC2 Alexis R. Brown
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Fourteen teenaged girls are preparing to wrap-up an 11-week program designed to help them gain valuable work experience and prepare them to enter the civilian work force.
Sponsored by Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) and Murphy Canyon Youth Center, "Career Runway" started this past January and is focused on fashion and design.
Tammie Pontsler, creator of Career Runway and a work and family life consultant with FFSC said the curriculum is centered around materials and resources provided by a major U.S. clothing store and the Boys & Girls Club of America.
"It's a curriculum for employability skills. [It includes] anything from goal setting to how to write a resume and cover letter; how to fill out an application; and how to keep a job once you have it," said Pontsler.
The program meets every Wednesday and during the first 30 minutes, teens focus on career training. During the last hour and a half, the teens work on fashion; design construction; and fashion show production.
"The main project is a redesign. So they're taking clothes that already exist and designing something completely different," said Pontsler.
Over the two-month period, the teenagers have learned toilet paper design and gone on a field trip to the Salvation Army Thrift Store in preparation for making their own clothing and more. Their most recent trip was to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise (FIDM) in Los Angeles to attend the school's debut show according to Marta Passarrelli, director of Murphy Canyon Youth Center.
"Every year FIDM's senior class puts on a fashion show, and they invite high school students out to attend," said Pontsler about the trip which also included a tour of the school.
The idea for "Career Runway" came about with Pontsler's desire to work with teens and one of her passions —fashion.
"If you're going to teach teens employability skills, it's good to find something they're interested in," she said. "Being able to be a fusion of both fashion and employability skills, is a great way to bring the teens in with what their interests are and they develop life skills along the way."
According to Celicida Rodriguez, 17, fashion has always been an interest of hers. She added that the program has helped her with everyday decisions.
"I've added my own style to my clothing, and now I can make regular clothes really pop," said Rodriguez.
Although newly launched, Career Runway has already received some outside support from the fashion industry.
One fashion foundation awarded the program a Career Launch Planning and Volunteer grant of $3,500.
According to Passarrelli, the grant will be used to purchase sewing machines for student use, supplies for projects and fashion show production.
"This will help make Career Runway a success," said Passarrelli.
The finale for Career Runway is a fashion show put on by the teenagers. It is scheduled for April 16 at the Murphy Canyon Chapel.
Career Runway is open to active-duty military youth, in grades 9 - 12. For more information on the program or to sign up, contact the FFSC, Murphy Canyon Branch.
