A new Wilmington Center will house a program that helps teens and young adults develop workforce skills.
The Warehouse’s RISE Center, which stands for Reaching and Investing in Youth for Sustainable Development, offers 12 weeks of training for youths ages 14 through 24.
Programming is split by age, with one session for teens between the ages of 14 and 18 who are currently enrolled in school and the other for those ages 16 to 24 who are not enrolled in school. The older program can help those students obtain a GED or certificate to help with their future careers.
During the program, participants are paid $12 an hour for working 15 hours a week, which includes internships and externships.
The Warehouse itself, designed to be a space that empowers teens, located in the northeast corner of Wilmington, has a budget of $2.8 million with 10 full-time staff, up from three a year ago.
RISE has been operating out of its Innovation Center, but will now move into its own space, which cost $300,000 to renovate.
When the RISE program debuted last February, it received $500,000 from Barclays, the program’s largest donation so far.
Wenona Sutton, director of operations for The Warehouse, said RISE ended its first full year with 170 successfully completing the program. Organizers hope for 175 in 2023.
Sutton said that The Warehouse and RISE are popular in schools.
“You are not cool in school if you do not have a Warehouse keycard…it’s like a badge of honor,” Sutton said. “We have a lot of junior high schoolers who are seeing their older siblings go through the program … waiting to turn 14 to be a part of The Warehouse.”
The Warehouse was initially planning on opening in 2020 but had to push back the launch because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s been busy enough that The Warehouse recently purchased the empty lot across the street. It plans to start construction on a new building there at some point, Sutton said.
The Warehouse mostly serves the African American community in Wilmington, with about 20% of participants coming from places such as New Castle, Bear and a few from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The center celebrated with a ribbon cutting Tuesday, attended by politicians and business executives.
Gov. John Carney said the RISE program, along with work being done at The Warehouse, REACH Riverside and Kingswood Community Center benefits all of Delaware.
“If we’re going to compete as a state, if all our children and all our families are going to be successful, the work that you’re doing in helping to cultivate the development of those children and those families is just essential,” Carney said. “We’re delighted to follow your lead. Sometimes elected officials lead .. but they also follow.”
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