Empowering Future Leaders Through Career Exploration
City Kids is more than just outdoor adventures—our Job Experience Trainee (JET) program for high school students (grades 10-12) empowers participants to discover their passions, pursue their dreams, and step into their personal power. The JET program equips students with the skills, confidence, and leadership abilities they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
Beyond traditional education, JET programming offers real-world career exposure and leadership development. After honing outdoor skills and self-confidence as campers, JETs focus on career readiness and setting goals for themselves and their communities. Through career exploration, professional development workshops, and leadership opportunities, they build transferable skills for success in an ever-changing world. Each year, JETs choose their own track, giving them ownership of their journey and growth.
JET Tracks Include:
- Career Exploration & Internships: JETs explore career paths through job shadows and internships.
- JET Camp Leaders: JETs mentor younger campers and develop leadership skills.
- Outdoor Session: JETs train to tackle challenges like the Teton Crest Trail and climbing the Grand Teton.
- Partner Programs: JETs explore programs with partner organizations like NOLS, North Carolina Outward Bound, and Wilderness Adventures for deep outdoor immersion and leadership across the country.
Over the next few newsletters, we will be highlighting each of these four JET tracks. In part one of this series, we’re featuring JETs in the Career Exploration & Internship track, an exciting opportunity for students to gain hands-on professional experience that will shape their futures.
Career Exploration & Internship Track: Real-World Experience
The Career Exploration session introduces JETs to the professional world through paid leadership roles, helping them explore career paths and develop essential skills. Participants engage in job shadowing within the Jackson community and enjoy a 2-day camping trip. JET Interns are selected to complete two multi-day internships in Jackson, WY, following professional development workshops in the spring. After completing a Career Exploration year, JETs can move onto Intern Session the following summer. During the two-week Intern Session, interns work 8 hours a day in positions aligned with their career interests, returning to the ranch in the evenings for activities and workshops. They also embark on a three day camping trip to Yellowstone – returning as seniors after six years, having first visited during their Ranger year at City Kids. The experience focuses on gaining professional skills, meaningful work experience, and developing leadership within the City Kids community.
JETs are already preparing for this summer by engaging in workshops that help them market their personal assets—skills, strengths, and passions—by writing short biographies to share with their future internship hosts.
Through the JET program, our participants are preparing not just for their futures, but for a lifetime of leadership, growth, and success. We can’t wait to see where their passions take them this summer and beyond. Stay tuned for more updates on their exciting career explorations and internships, and more features on JETs in other tracks!
