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�I hated it, but I learned a lot� Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Jessica Bowers, 15, smoothes out wet concrete at the Bear Creek Skatepark in Medford. The Gold Hill girl was part of a crew of teenagers � working under Barry Whetstine and Jennifer Mesenbrink, in background � completing a decorative retaining wall along Highland Avenue and other projects while learning job skills under a federally financed work program. Student crews build self-esteem with skatepark projects By Buffy Pollock School starts soon and 15-year-old Jessica Bowers is relieved her summer of digging ditches and building concrete walls finally has come to an end. "I�m glad it�s over,�� said the Gold Hill girl, "but I�m glad I did it." Bowers was one of six Rogue valley teenagers who spent their summer vacation landscaping the Bear Creek Skatepark in Medford. The kids worked more than 1,100 hours as part of the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program. The program was sponsored by The Job Council and funded by the Workforce Investment Act, founded to teach teens skills they�ll need to join the work force. Bowers and fellow crew members finished their final project last week � a concrete retention wall that now faces Highland Avenue, thanks to their hard work. The frame for the wall was attached with textured foam insets shaped like fish to add some decoration to the wall. Later, art classes from local schools will have the chance to paint special tiles to give the "art wall" a colorful mosaic look. Although her summer was anything but fun, Bowers said she learned she could do a lot by participating in the program. "Half my friends don�t believe I really did all that stuff," she said. "I hated it, but I learned a lot. I know I can do things now and what I learned will probably help me in a lot of things." The crew worked for eight weeks on projects ranging from trench digging and puncture-vine pulling to concrete pouring and drainage installation. The crew also cleaned up an overgrown quarter-acre of parkland at the corner of Highland. They weeded and cleared thick brush and blackberry bushes by hand, picked up garbage and helped make and spread wood-chip mulch. The crew also helped build three sets of wooden steps for the park. Beverly Power, customer service specialist at the Medford Parks and Recreation Department, said she learned about the program while looking for grants to complete some projects at the skatepark. The program employed one adult supervisor and six crew members, ages 15 and 16, entirely at Job Council expense. All program participants attended a "work ethics" workshop and received training on skills needed for each job, such as how to use equipment and make calculations. Although she was strict with her crew, said supervisor Jennifer Mesenbrink, they all worked hard and everyone benefited from being part of a team. Five of the original six toughed out the whole summer. This year�s program had 300 participants working in Josephine and Jackson counties. Two important requirements for participation were a need to learn basic job skills and a desire to do so, said Job County youth coordinator Barry Whetstine. For the final two weeks, Mesenbrink gave her most-skilled crew member the opportunity to learn how to supervise. So Aaron Noyes served as acting supervisor for the last few projects. "This gave me a lot of experience I�ll be able to use. I�ve never been put in charge before. It was a little stressful but it was fun," said the Medford 16-year-old. Project coordinator Pete Young agreed that the program did more than just provide jobs. "They cover all aspects of what it means to be in the job place, like training, getting along, showing up on time, resumes," he said. "It�s not just another job. They really do a lot with these kids." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA