SIGN UP HERE! Student Application Form - Check email for updates! Lunchtime Workshops start in November!

Youth Employment Services (YES)

Banner for "YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES" with the YES logo on the left, followed by three photos: three women standing in front of a colorful mural, a young male lifeguard standing in front of a swimming pool, and three women holding a "CU Schools Foundation" sign.

Calendar
Meet Ms. Danowitz
Students
Partnerships
Employers

Apply Now!

Contact Us

Follow Us!

YES stands for Youth Employment Services. We work with Champaign Unit 4 High School students ages 14 and up. We provide curriculum through ‘Lunch and Learn Workshops’ around essential job skills such as communication, time management, resume writing, critical thinking, teamwork, interviewing skills and leadership.

YES students participate in a real ‘Job Interview Fair’ every spring where they meet and interview with local businesses and organizations - eventually being matched to a job in a career field that interests them. We want to ensure our students have access to the tools necessary to build a solid post-high school plan for success.

More Videos

Our Mission

"YES WORKS!” The YES Program is a pipeline that connects young talented student professionals to employers in the community.

Our Vision

We will ensure any student seeking career readiness and skill development has access to the support needed to set them up for success. We create valuable job training and interviewing opportunities for students.

Our Values

  • Support 

  • Knowledge

  • Influence

  • Listening

  • Leadership 

  • Success

Participation Levels

In order to achieve our mission of creating a YES for every student, we offer two levels of student participation:

  • LEVEL 1 - YES ACADEMY

    • Our introductory level of participation

    • Designed for our new students or those with less job experience

    • Attendance required at all major program events through the year

    • Once Completed you will be YES CERTIFIED!!!!

  • LEVEL 2 - YES Advanced

    • Great for those already that completed YES Academy, Level 1

    • Allows for support where it's needed most, more Independent mindset

    • Get help with online applications, building resumes, interview prep

    • Attendance is required at program events (4 out of 5 Events)

    • Once Completed you will be YES ADVANCED CERTIFIED!!!!

How do I become YES CERTIFIED?

To become a YES Certified, the student must attend all of the Lunch and Learn Workshop sessions during the school year. This is critical for preparing the student for the job experience. Employers rely on the YES Program to thoroughly prepare the student for the workplace. This badge demonstrates job readiness and competency. Students are encouraged to use this badge as a point of pride and include this certification status on their resume! The badge is also included on their email signature line and speaks to their level of growing professionalism.

Circular badge with the words "Youth Employment Services" around the top and the acronym "YES" in bold blue letters. Inside the circle are three colorful human figures with raised arms surrounded by stars. A blue ribbon at the bottom reads "Certified 2025."

YES Program Cycle - How does it work?

Circular infographic showing the Youth Employment Services (YES) job cycle with seven steps around the YES logo in the center. Step 1: Sign Up. Step 2: Attend Workshops. Step 3: Job Interview Fair. Step 4: Job Placement. Step 5: Summer Kick Off Training. Step 6: Employer Orientation. Step 7: Start Work!

1. YES - SIGN UP! (Fall Semester)
Student Application Form
When the application is completed you will receive an invitation to the lunch workshops.

2. YES LUNCH AND LEARN WORKSHOPS (Fall and Spring Semester)
YES Lunch and Learn Workshops provide training and hands-on learning for important career readiness skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, problem solving, and leadership. Students also learn how to create a resume and how to gain confidence with interviews and networking. This component is required for Level 1  and Level 2. If you do not attend the workshops you will be dropped from the program. Being Prepared for the job is critical! 

3. JOB INTERVIEW FAIR (April)
The Job Interview Fair is an annual event where YES participants are able to meet and interview with potential summer employers. Over 25 Employers will attend this event at the school Library and conduct hundreds of Interviews! Students are encouraged to apply for multiple positions. The more experience interviewing the better!  

This event is required for Level 1 and Level 2. The only exception is if you have already secured a job.

4. Job Placement (Spring Semester)
After the Job Interview Fair, Employers will begin to make job offers to the students. The Student’s responsibility is to respond in a timely/professional fashion to either accept the or decline the position. YES students may receive more than one offer and can accept only one position through the job fair. This way the jobs can be assigned and the next steps for on boarding can begin. YES Students may work more than one job if they have a second job outside of the YES Program.

5. YES Summer Kick Off Training (Summer)
GET PAID $150!!! In Early June, YES Summer Kick Off  is our paid training session for students participating in the YES Program. The focus will center on topics that are specific to YES-sponsored job placements such as meeting your summer WORKSITE COORDINATOR, tracking your hours worked and completing new hire paperwork etc. Students will experience dynamic presentations from local professionals and attend breakout sessions in smaller personalized groups.

YES-Sponsored Summer Job (Summer)
Participants will begin their summer job for six weeks during June and July. They will have the opportunity to work up to 105 hours during that time period and will be assigned a Worksite Coordinator through the program. Worksite Coordinators will provide ongoing support and communication to ensure each participant's summer job placement is successful and meaningful.

YES Calendar

Meet Ms. Danowitz

Mandy Danowitz

Ms. Danowitz

Ms. Danowitz serves as the Youth Employment Services Program Supervisor for Unit 4 Schools, where she focuses on creating meaningful connections between students and community employment opportunities. With experience in education and entrepreneurship, Ms. Danowitz has previously taught at Unit 4 schools as an Art teacher at Franklin STEAM Academy and as an Art Enrichment, Dance and Drama teacher at Stratton Academy of the Arts. As a former business owner of Lola's Brush, a successful Painting Party business, she brings a unique blend of educational expertise and business acumen to her current role.

Her commitment to student-led learning and community building is evident through her work as an Artist in Residence, where she has guided students in creating murals and mosaics throughout the district. Ms. Danowitz holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Loyola University (2003), K-12 certification, and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University Chicago. She is passionate about empowering student voices and creating opportunities that allow young people to contribute to the beauty and vitality of their school community.

Join Our Team

If you are interested in joining the team as a Summer 2026 Worksite Coordinator, please check back at the start of the new year when our job posting goes live. A link will be shared when the posting is available!

Students

Why Be a Student Participant?

Youth Employment Services has a lot to offer the youth of our community. If you're trying to decide whether to apply, here are the Top 10 Reasons to choose YES.

  1. Make your own money! 

  2. Learn how to create and build your resume. 

  3. Get a checking or savings account and learn about financial literacy. 

  4. Discover what career fields match your skills, interests, and personality type. 

  5. Get real experience in the workforce. 

  6. Make connections with people who work in the career field you want to pursue. 

  7. Build up your soft skills (communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management) so you'll stand out in a job interview. 

  8. Become YES Certified!

  9. Build your confidence as an employee. 

  10. Did we mention you make money?!?

What Our Students Say

YES Student Eligibility Requirements

There are several criteria that must be met by all students accepted to Youth Employment Services. Please read through them carefully before applying and be sure to reach out via the Contact page if you have any questions.

  1. You must be currently attending a Champaign Unit 4 public school.

  2. You must be at least 14 years old before your first day of work. This typically means by June of the upcoming summer.

*If you are not attending classes or have been out of school for a significant portion of the current school year, please reach out to see if this program is the best fit for you at this time.

Thank you to our partners!

These partners help make our program possible.

Champaign Unit 4

City of Champaign

Champaign County Community Coalition

Worksites

YES Program participants have opportunities to interview at a variety of worksites including:

Champaign Forest Preserve

Champaign Park District Camp Leaders

Champaign Police Department

Champaign Public Library

Champaign Unit 4 Schools

City of Champaign Equity & Engagement

City of Champaign Finance Department

City of Champaign IT

City of Champaign Neighborhood Services Department

City of Champaign Public Works Department

Crystal Lake Aquatic Center

CU Jewish Federation

CU Schools Foundation

DREAAM

Experience CU

Habitat for Humanity - ReStore

Home Depot

Kohls

Land of Lincoln Legal Aid

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Old Navy

Randolph St Gardens

Salvation Army

Schnucks

Sholem Aquatic Center

Sola Gratia

Taco Bell

University of Illinois

Walmart

WIN Recovery

Y on the Fly

Employers

Why Be an Employer?

Why should you partner with Y.E.S.?

Youth Employment Services offers our employer sites a unique opportunity to support the youth of our community. If you are an employer looking for reasons to get involved, here are the Top 10 Reasons to Say "Yes" to YES:

  1. Help grow the future workforce.

  2. Provide a mentoring experience that benefits both the student and the adult.

  3. Educate youth employees about your specific career field.

  4. Gain positive public awareness for your business by partnering with both the City of Champaign and Champaign Unit 4 Schools.

  5. Infuse your workplace with the energy and fresh ideas of your youth employee(s).

  6. Contribute to the individual growth and development of your community's youth.

  7. Add extra hands to ongoing projects.

  8. Foster interest and passion for your career field with the next generation of employees.

  9. Help shape a more successful and productive future for our community.

  10. Assist in preparing your student employee(s) to meet their continuing education/career path goals.

What Employers Say

Slider is playing