Community Member Questions

WHY SHOULD THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEEN POWER?

We believe that Teen Power will nurture the positive development of the youth in our community. We believe that instead of focusing solely on reducing risks and intervening when problems arise, we can build teen assets (see explanation of the 40 Developmental Assets), which will nurture teens and strengthen our community. We need your participation to make this happen!

Other more tangible incentives:

1. Teen Power provides a resource for busy community members looking for teen help, especially for those who don’t know any teenagers. Using the website, you can quickly, easily, and efficiently find eager teens will to work! Think of it as an online "Teen Yellow Pages"!
2. Each donation is goes directly to students. Scholarships allows students to get involved in their school and community. They are also provided for dental and health care when needed. And, they are tax deductible.
   

HOW DOES TEEN POWER WORK?

Below are the steps to using Teen Power:

1. A teen sets up his/her account. Teens will indicate the types of jobs in which they are interested.Teens are also encouraged to include in their bio information about their interests, future dreams, and goals for the money they earn. We hope this information will provide a way to build relationships with the community members who hire them. Before the account is activated, the teen must get a parent signature.

Example: Michelle is interested in babysitting and running errands.

She is saving for Rock and Roll Camp.

2. A community member sets up his/her account. Community members can also complete a biography if they choose. Community member accounts are activated after the Teton Country Sheriff’s department has verified his/her name is not on a current sex offender list.
3. All accounts are activated.
4. When a community member needs teen help, s/he logs into her account and searches for help using the job filter. The filter will show the teens who indicated an interest in this job alphabetically or by age.
   

5. Community member can search the list to find someone that meets his/her needs. Reading the bios or client reviews will help.
   
6. Community members are welcome to contact the Teen Power administrator using the contact us button on the website (mrooks@tcsd.org) for recommendations.
7. At this point, the community member should contact the teen directly to make arrangements for the completion of the job. Please note: Teen Power only participates in matching up willing teens with community members who need help. However, if there are any problems before, during, or after the job, please contact the Teen Power administrator through the website or at 733-5167.
8. Once the job is completed, the community member pays the teen on site.
9. Teens will then post the job to their teen power resume. This will generate an email that is sent to the community member. This allows the community member to write a client review for the teen. Reviews are also sent to the Teen Power administrator so that teens who are not demonstrating positive work ethic can get further training. Students with poor work histories will have their accounts put on hold until further training is completed.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY TEEN POWER WORKERS?
A: Most middle school students will work for $5 - 10/hour. High school students work for $8-10/hour. Usually, the younger the student, the less you need to pay. When calling for a job, you can state your hourly wage. If you want Teen Power to find students who will work for a certain hourly wage, we are happy to do that for you.

HOW CAN I POST A JOB?
A: There are three ways to find teen workers.

1. Peruse the Teen Power website as if it were a "Teen Yellow Pages"! Find a teen that looks like a great fit and contact him/her.
2. If you want Teen Power to find workers who are interested in your job, hit the "contact us" button at the top of the website homepage (mrooks@tcsd.org). We will happily post it. We will forward you the names of all interested students.
3. Especially if you would like to hire multiple teens for multiple dates, contact us with the job information and dates and we will coordinate the job. We will hire teens and insure they arrive at the job promptly. You can pay Teen Power or the teens directly. If you have any questions about any type of job, please contact use (mrooks@tcsd.org).

WHAT IF THE JOB CATEGORY IN WHICH I WANT TO POST A JOB ISN’T AVAILABLE?

Please contact the Teen Power administrator and she/he will assist you. We can create new jobs for you.The administrator is available through the website (mrooks@tcsd.org) or at 733-5167.

WHAT IF I NEED MANY WORKERS?
If you are posting a job that you need more than one workers, please let us help you. Contact the Teen Power Administrator either through the website, via email (mrooks@tcsd.org) or by phone 733-5167. We will gladly find your employees for you.

HOW DO I DECIDE WHO TO HIRE?
A: After you have read profiles, looked at client recommendations, and thought about age, if you still cannot figure out who to hire, please contact us (mrooks@tcsd.org). We are more than willing to give your further information about our teens.

WHAT IF THERE IS A PROBLEM BEFORE, DURING, or AFTER THE JOB?

Please contact the Teen Power administrator immediately. It is our goal to provide teens training and assistance to become reliable, valuable, and responsible workers. The administrator is available through the website or at 733-5167. Teens are encouraged to call 911 if there is an emergency during a job.

WHAT DO I DO IF A STUDENT DOES NOT SHOW UP FOR A JOB?
A: Please contact us (mrooks@tcsd.org). Many of our students are young, and your job might be one of their first. I can touch base with them and help them develop a positive work ethic. We take this very seriously.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT IS NOT A GOOD WORKER?
A: Please contact me (mrooks@tcsd.org). When a student does not represent Teen Power well, we deactivate his/her account until we meet and discuss work ethic. Sometimes we include parents. Often we do some supervised community service activities to provide the student with some successful experience. We want to know so that we can help students make good choices in the future. This is an important part of Teen Power. Consider it your contribution to empowering teens!

WHAT IF A STUDENT IS A GREAT WORKER?
A: Please feel free to "write a student review" from your profile page. This will be added to the students "resume," and all other clients will be able to read your comments. Please do not write negative comments - instead let us know if you have complaints. We will handle all complaints in a manner that will help the student grow from the negative experiences.

WHAT IS THE RESEARCH BEHIND TEEN POWER?
A: Teen Power was created in response to research conducted by the Search Institute resulting in the 40 Developmental Assets. If you'd like to read more, please check out other posts on this blog.

WHAAAT? A BACKGROUND CHECK?

The Teton County Sheriff’s department will check community members’ names against the names on current sex offenders lists. If an account is not authorized, the community member will be able to discuss this matter with them. We want all teens to be safe!

WHAT IF I NEED HELP WITH MY ACCOUNT?

Please contact the Teen Power administrator through the website, via email (mrooks@tcsd.org) or by phone: 733-5167.

I'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED WITH TEEN POWER. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES?
A: YES!! We are always looking for board members and volunteers! Please, let me know if you are interested in either of these roles. (Michelle Rooks, mrooks@tcsd.org or Pam McIntosh, Executive Diretor, at pmcintosh@tcsd.org)