August 8, 2025, marked the successful completion of Goodwill’s 2025 Summer Youth Work Experience Program, in partnership with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD).
This year’s program provided 115 youth participants with valuable hands-on work experience at 26 community worksites across our five-county territory. Each participant was supported by one of 35 temporary Goodwill job coaches, ensuring guidance, skill development, and on-the-job training throughout the summer.
The Summer Youth Program offers participants the opportunity to explore different job tasks, build workplace skills, and earn a paycheck—helping prepare them for future employment.
“Every summer, we see incredible growth in our participants’ confidence and abilities,” said Justin Vanderhoff, VP Mission Services. “We are grateful to our community partners and employers who make this program possible.”
At Goodwill, our mission is building lives that work, and our vision is to empower people, strengthen families, and build communities. Programs like Summer Youth directly support this mission by helping young people develop skills that last a lifetime.
For more information on Goodwill’s youth and workforce development programs, visit GoodHappensHere.org.
