August Lunch & Learn Recap: Our Summer 2025 Youth Internship Program

It’s a bittersweet moment as our summer Youth Internship Program (YIP) comes to a close. Today is their last day at Home ReSource and while we will miss them, we were also in awe of how much they’ve accomplished!

At our August Lunch & Learn, the YIPs (as we fondly call them) presented for an hour on their experiences with the internship, what they learned, and some of their favorite moments.

Projects included a bench, a bird house, flipdown coat rack, paddles, and an Adirondack chair using old skis. YIPper Luke said he made the paddle for his mom because “she was using frisbees and ping pong paddles” instead. Thomas, another YIPper, talked about some of the field trips they did, including a construction site at UM Dick Anderson Construction and a drive out to Heritage Timber in Bonner.

The Youth Internship Program has four cohorts a year, with each session lasting 7-10 weeks. The summer YIP program is specifically for indigenous youth, a group who has historically been ignored when it comes to job accessibility and hiring. Interns develop professionally marketable skills and learn about the job hiring process, including interviewing and resume-writing. There is a specific focus on working in the trades, especially because over 40% of trade workers are older than 45.

This cohort of interns had some words of wisdom for the next incoming cohort of YIPs: “try and have fun,” “interact with your peers,” and “enjoy everything; for a first job it’s very fun.”

Check out this great article and short clip of the presentation from KPAX here! We’re so proud of this cohort of YIPs and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future! Thank you to everyone who attended this Lunch and Learn and supported our YIPs. We are looking forward to seeing you at the next Lunch and Learn! This event happens every third Wednesday in Home ReSource’s Community Room.