Mayor Mason’s administration has made tackling longstanding disparities and inequities a priority. The City has spent the last 2.5 years building partnerships and growing programs that will help address disparities in our residents’ educational attainment, access to careers in the trades, financial stability, homeownership, and home enhancement and repair.
Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City has seized a once-in-a-generation opportunity to dramatically scale these programs and catalyze these investments in our residents and our community.
GROW Racine is the City’s way of saying directly to our residents: we believe in you, we believe you are worthy, and we believe in you and your family’s future. The GROW Racine effort is managed by the City’s Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Community Partnerships, Vicky Selkowe.
GROW Racine consists of the following major initiatives
Helping Adult City Residents Earn Their High School Degree
In the City of Racine, we want our residents to know that, whatever happened in the past does not have to prevent them from succeeding in the future. We’ve partnered with the YWCA SEW to invest in their highly successful 5.09 High School Equivalency Degree (HSED) program. And, for a limited time, we’re offering City of Racine HSED scholarships to help support City adults who enroll in and graduate from the 5.09!
Start a Career in the Trades
The building & construction trades provide great career paths, with family-supporting jobs and upward mobility. The City of Racine wants to help ensure that our residents have access to education, training, and supportive placements to explore and launch careers in the trades. The City is proud to partner with WRTP/Big Step and the Racine Family YMCA to help our residents complete pre-apprenticeship training and education. And, for a limited time, the City is offering Pre-Apprenticeship Scholarships to help support residents who enroll in and complete these partners’ programs.
Become Financially Empowered
When it comes to money and finances, we all could use some coaching. That’s why the City of Racine launched the Racine Financial Empowerment Center (FEC). In partnership with Housing Resources, Inc., the Racine FEC offers all City of Racine residents professional, confidential, 1:1, financial counseling for FREE. Whether you want to improve your credit score, build up your savings, tackle your bills and debts, learn how to budget, get connected to resources to help meet your needs, or access safe & affordable banking products, the Racine FEC’s certified financial counselors can help you with any or all of that, and more!
Repair & Enhance Your Home
The City of Racine believes everyone deserves a safe and habitable place to live, and we want to support homeowners in investing in their homes. We’ve created new programs to help homeowners fix up and re-invest in their homes.
Thanks to all of the City staff and nonprofit partners who made City of Racine Day such a success yesterday! #GROWRacine ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Tomorrow! Join us for this great City of Racine day event at the Bryant Center. Apply for jobs, get resume & interviewing help, connect with City and City-funded partner resources, enjoy lunch on us, giveaways, and more! Help spread the word.
#GROWRacine ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Did you know that GROW Racine is helping City residents launch great careers in the construction and building trades? It's true!
Super proud of these three City residents who graduated on Friday from WRTP / BIG STEP's Southeast Wisconsin Roadbuilders Program. All three received City of Racine, On the lake GROW Racine pre-apprenticeship scholarships to encourage & support them while they were enrolled in this training program.
Up next for these residents? Great careers with family-supporting wages, lifelong learning, and benefits!
Learn more about how the City is investing in our residents to rebuild and grow our City! www.growracine.org/careers-in-the-trades/
#GROWRacine #CityofRacine ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Our Youth Employment Program is one of the many ways the City of Racine, On the lake is investing in our residents' futures. Applications are now open for this summer's 8-week paid youth jobs with the City! Learn more and get the application here www.growracine.org/youth-employment/
#GROWRacine #CityofRacineMeet Tihane A.! Tia is a former Summer Youth Employment Program participant who was then hired to continue working for the City of Racine. Read more about Tia’s experiences in the interview below:
*The YEP application is OPEN! Learn more here: www.growracine.org/youth-employment/
Q: What was your position with the City of Racine?
A: My position in the city was a Summer Youth Employee in the Human Resources department.
Q: What motivated you to apply?
A: I needed an internship for one of my classes at Gateway Technical College. The application was sent to me by a classmate. I figured if all goes well, I will have an internship and a pretty unique experience.
Q: What were some skills you learned?
A: I gained a better understanding of what the different departments in the city do from an insider’s point of view. And I (of course) got to see the process behind how someone is hired and interviewed, setting up benefits and a glimpse of what goes into setting up the wellness activities for the city employees.
Q: What’s it like working in city government as a young person?
A: It’s a little weird… I feel like I should have had office experience and have been in school for something business related to work here, but I work here without it.
Q: How do you explain your job to other people at school?
A: I just explain that I help the hiring process along, I file part-time applicants, set up interviews, pre-employment drug screenings and orientations, run background checks, then call applicants to offer them the job.
I have also been helping create the wellness calendars, bingos, and word searches.
Q: What do you wish you knew before this job?
A: I wish I knew that it’s not as intimidating as I thought it would be and the experience is going to be whatever you make it. Before starting I assumed working in an office (especially for it to be the city), it would be really dull, strictly work, and no room for mistakes.
It’s not like that at all, I work with a very nice group of people who are very patient and understanding. They would rather me ask a lot of questions and do the job right, than to not say anything at all and do it wrong.
Q: How will this internship impact your future goals?
A: The Youth Employment Program has made a very big impact on my future plans. Before coming into the program, I was at a point in school where I did not really know what I wanted to do. I just knew the demographic I wanted to work with and a few careers I thought I would be good at or could see myself doing.
But after the program and now working here for a while I have a clear understanding of what I want to do career-wise and feel confident that when the time comes I will be able to do my job well 🙂
Q: What advice do you have for other students who are applying for any internships?
A: My advice for applying for any internships would be to choose something that you think would be the best fit for you. Also that internships are pretty low stakes, you’re just doing it to get experience in the field and get your foot in the door. It will teach you the things you do and do not like about the field you may go into or that company/organization. Which can be a tool when choosing the rest of your classes, another internship, or figuring out what you want to do as a career.
Getting to work with the city while in this program, is such a new and fun experience and can open a lot of doors to new opportunities.
Another thing I would want those applying to YEP to know is that Kischa tries to make sure that everyone is having a good experience from this and includes activities that are fun and beneficial to the employees. For example, for one of the cohort days we went canoeing then had a lunch from the fire department or people from Gateway came to help the employees build their resumes. ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thanks to Racine County Eye for highlighting the enrollment event the City of Racine, On the lake's GROW Racine team, YWCA Southeast Wisconsin, and Gateway Technical College are hosting this Saturday!
Know a City resident who's ready to go back to school to earn their high school credential? Make sure to tell 'em about this event, where we'll help them with every step of the enrollment process AND they can apply for the City's $1500 GROW Racine HSED Scholarship. #GROWRacine #CityofRacine ... See MoreSee Less
High School Equivalency Diploma enrollment and $1,500 scholarship event this Saturday in Racine | Racine County Eye
racinecountyeye.com
RACINE — The City of Racine is hosting a 5.09 High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) event to recruit and enroll interested individuals for classes that begin0 CommentsComment on Facebook
We're GROW-ing Racine's future success by helping adult City residents earn their HSEDs and transform their futures!
Spread the word about this Saturday's enrollment session! #GROWRacine #CityofRacine ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook