Sixty-one kids looking for a head start on their future have recently started Power Zone’s paid summer youth internships.

The camp, which started June 15, began with a week of teaching the interns key workplace skills, such as having confidence, and a lesson in work ethics, youth job developer Dana Cornelius said.

After the first week, they are put into a real working environment based around a particular career field the student is interested in.

“We try to place them in jobs their career choice will be in,” Cornelius said. “We want them to develop job skills so they will be prepared and they’ll know how to work when the time comes.”

She said Power Zone interns must treat their summer gig like a real job, and it pretty much is. Interns get paid $8 an hour at 30 hours a week, for eight weeks.

Cornelius said many students take the money and help family out with bills, which helps teach the value of money. They also appreciate being able to treat themselves to new shoes and a wardrobe, she said.

Power Zone’s internship is for people ages 14 to 21. Younger kids typically take jobs at places such as the Salvation Army to get a feel for working, whereas the older interns are more likely to get something more specific to their plans for the future.

“The city of Port Arthur has helped us out tremendously,” she said. “They’ve allowed the kids to come in and work at places like the health department.”

Cornelius said the program makes a positive, lasting impression on the interns. With its focus on low income students, Power Zone also pays for college for members of their program.

Power Zone currently has its maximum number of interns, which is 61.

“Right now we’re not accepting any more applications, but we advise anyone to come in around Spring Break and apply,” she said. “We get many applications, so the sooner you come, the better.”

Rynisha Jones, a 17-year-old Memorial High School student, is currently interning at The News after being assigned a clerical job with Power Zone.

“I got involved with the program to learn new things,” Jones said. “This is a good program to get into to prepare for the future.”

She said since eighth grade, she has wanted to be a pediatrician, but also has interest in clerical work.

“This is my first time to do this, but it’s fun,” Jones said. “I’m learning a lot, like how to deal with people.”