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One goal of the Young AmeriTowne program is to help students prepare to be successful adults. At AmeriTowne in Denver, students learn what holding a job is like in the Colorado Public Radio Station. And they have a blast in the process!
The job application process is one example. By applying and interviewing for an AmeriTowne job, students gain real-world skills that help them apply for a job as a teen or young adult. The Radio Station is one of the most popular shops to work in Young AmeriTowne. In order to land a job there, students must submit a top-notch resume and ace their job interview. Radio Station Accountant, 11-year-old Kaden,* said dressing professionally helps, too. “I’m pretty sure I got this job because I wore a nice suit at my interview,” he said. “This was my top place to work.”
The Radio Station also provides a lesson in marketing. Each of the 17 shops submits an advertisement that DJs read during song breaks. This advertising revenue helps the shop pay off their bank loan and make a profit for their shop. Radio Station employees do their own advertising, too. Some students charge a dollar or two for song requests, for shout-outs to friends, or even for stopping a song that’s been overplayed, and the shop employees take turns advertising these products. On a recent Thursday, DJ Matthew* used his dance skills, which included doing the moonwalk near the shop entrance, to attract customers.
Young Americans is grateful to Colorado Public Radio for its support in creating a space filled with learning. Colorado Public Radio strives to inform, enlighten, and entertain its world-wide audience, Radio Station employees do the same for their fellow AmeriTowne citizens.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of minor students.