PHOENIX — For many teens, landing a summer job is only half the challenge. Actually getting there can be the bigger obstacle.
Now, a new partnership between the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley and Waymo is trying to change that by giving Valley teens rides to their summer internships in autonomous vehicles. Genesis Sabinon is one of 20 teens participating in the program this summer.
“I won’t have to be stressing, and my parents won’t have to be stressing,” Sabinon said. “The app shows you where you are, so they’ll know I got there safely.”
The effort is designed to help teens consistently get to work on time while reducing stress on families who may not always be available to drive them.
Organizers with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley say transportation is often one of the biggest barriers preventing teens from fully participating in internships and summer job opportunities.
Do you have a concern in your community or a news tip? We want to hear from you!
Connect with us: share@abc15.com
“I remember my first summer job was a dishwasher. I was working late hours, I was working from 7 to one in the morning,” said Josh Stine with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley. “Fortunately, I had a car to get me home, but not everyone has that, so we want to level the playing field.”
The rides are funded by generous donors, and the organization says the program will also study how reliable transportation impacts attendance and participation compared to teens who do not have consistent access to rides.
Parents also had a chance to inspect the vehicles before the internships began. Maritza Gonzalez said her son getting an internship quickly raised concerns about how he would get there while both parents were working.
“Both my husband and I work,” Gonzalez said. “So we were concerned about how to do this opportunity that he wanted to do.”
If the pilot program proves successful, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley says it hopes to expand the partnership next summer and include even more teens.
