State Rep. Kathy Schmaltz is working to secure a $200,000 state grant to expand a mentorship and workforce development program that connects at-risk teens in Jackson with meaningful job experience and guidance from local employers.

The proposed grant would support Save Our Youth – Help Them Prosper, a nonprofit program that pairs young people ages 14 to 17 with mentors while providing supervised work opportunities in the community. The funding would help compensate participating youth for up to 10 hours of work per week while they gain hands-on experience and professional guidance.

Students in the program have already worked with organizations including the Jackson Downtown Development Authority, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation, the Michigan Military Heritage Museum, and a variety of local businesses.

Schmaltz recently testified before a House budget subcommittee alongside Save Our Youth staff to advocate for the investment.

“I’ve had the chance to talk with some of the students and their employers, and the bond that develops between them is incredibly powerful,” Schmaltz said. “These young people are not only learning job skills at an early age, they’re building relationships with mentors who can help guide them. Programs like this help shape their future and open doors to meaningful careers. When we connect our young people with great mentors early and help them find a career path, we truly can save our youth and help them prosper.”

Save Our Youth was founded in 2004 by Officer Thomas Burke while he was working at the Jackson prison. After seeing youth offenders as young as 14 entering the adult correctional system, Burke committed himself to creating a mentorship program designed to intervene earlier and help vulnerable young people build positive futures. The organization grew from a small pilot effort working with children of incarcerated parents into a grassroots mentoring network that partners with nonprofits, volunteers, and community organizations throughout Jackson.

Today the organization operates more than a dozen programs designed to mentor and support young people year-round.

Schmaltz said the state grant would help expand Save Our Youth’s newest initiative, the Youth Career Mentorship Program, which fills a critical workforce development gap for teens ages 14 to 16 who are often too young to participate in formal career and technical education programs.

Margaux Dever, who recently joined Schmaltz in Lansing to testify in support of the proposal, said the funding would significantly increase the number of students the program can reach.

“At the moment, we’re able to serve seven students on a shoestring budget,” Dever said. “But by having this larger investment, we would be able to serve 20 to 30 students right off the bat. It would allow us to build the partnerships with local employers that we would love to be able to have. It would become self-sustaining after probably about two years.”

The program pairs real-world job experience with wraparound support such as life skills coaching, transportation help, work equipment, and mental health resources. By introducing teens to career opportunities early, organizers say the program helps prepare them for future workforce training programs and reduces the likelihood they will become disconnected from school or employment later in life.

Schmaltz said investing in prevention-focused programs like Save Our Youth benefits both young people and the broader community.

“This program strengthens our workforce pipeline and gives vulnerable teens the guidance and experience they need to succeed,” Schmaltz said. “It’s a smart investment in the future of Jackson County.”