Trenton N.J. – Mayor W. Reed Gusciora
The Department of Recreation, Natural Resources, & Culture is welcoming applications for employment to support its 2023 Cool Summer in the Capital City programs and events. These programs and events will run from Monday, June 26, 2023, through Monday, September 4, 2023.
The 2023 Cool Summer in the Capital City initiative seeks to provide 250 summer job opportunities to Trenton youth and adults: Jobs that serve the Trenton community. Hired workers will assist in running the Summer Food Service Program to provide meals to children in low-income areas, the Summer Pool Program to maintain the public swimming pools and canoeing at Cadwalader Park, security at various events, as well as assisting in numerous indoor and outdoor activities including the Summer Concert series, Movies Under the Stars, and neighborhood block parties. Applicants can indicate their preference of program/position on the application.
Mayor Reed Gusciora stated, “Creating opportunities for youth in the Capital City is a core goal of mine. Ensuring that Trenton youth have jobs throughout the summer is part-and-parcel of this effort. I am thankful to Director Maria Richardson for managing this incredible program that supports our youth.”
In conjunction with recent research on the matter, Mayor Gusciora and his administration believe that youth-focused summer employment opportunities can have a marked benefit on crime reduction. Through a U.S. Department of Justice grant, a team of researchers from the University of Chicago, University of Oregon, and University of Michigan found that summer youth employment programs have numerous benefits, including improving financial security and reducing violence amongst youth, even long after the program ends.
“I am happy to see and support the continued success of this program,” said East Ward Trenton City Councilman Joe Harrison. “Providing our youth opportunities for employment will help them develop key skills necessary to guarantee a bright future for themselves and their families.” At-Large Trenton City Councilwoman Crystal Feliciano added, “It’s also great to see youth get these opportunities that directly serve our community. Future community-building starts in these critical years, and we hope that this program will not only keep our youth busy and well-paid, but also inspire this next generation of Trentonians to continue assisting their community in years to come.”
Over 200 candidates were hired through the program last summer, and over 250 positions are available now. Interested candidates can apply online at http://www.trentonnj.org/summerjobs, where they can also find more information about the various programs available. Compensation and duration of employment varies between programs. The City of Trenton requests that applicants indicate the programs/positions for which they are interested on the application.
