What We Do

Teen-Turn provides teen girls the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and the support to acquire qualifications and jobs.

Teen-Turn does this through mentored free after school activities, 2 week summer work placements in STEM environments, exam support and alumnae professional development programming so that participants, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, can visualize themselves in careers and therefore make informed third level course choices as well as build the necessary social capital to enter into the ‘future jobs’ workforce.

  • Teen-Turn prioritizes working with DEIS and similar schools to identify and include participants with academic promise, starting with us from the ages 14-15,** who will benefit from the opportunity but are from traditionally underrepresented communities or from underserved areas or from where third level education is uncommon.
  • Teen-Turn makes certain that all activities and work placements are compliant with the requirements of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, Garda Vetting and Children First Legislation. Teen-Turn is insured.
  • Teen-Turn provides an induction for participants prior to work placements to assess skills, explain rules and behavior expectations, and advise on what training/direction a company is likely to provide.
  • Teen-Turn shares employment act compliance, induction, and impact metrics materials with hosting companies.
  • Hosting companies match each participant, ideally, with a female mentor, who is employed with the company, and the work includes participating in and/or observing a STEM project either on site or through after school sessions followed by contributions to alumnae activities.
  • Participant travel and lunch costs are covered, so that no participant is paying out of pocket for the experience.***
We stay with participants from “Junior Cert to job”, committing to see them through from early interests in STEM activities and subjects to in-demand skill acquisition to third level completion to meaningful employment.

 

* Dates: (1) Induction last week of July; (2) Internships first two weeks of August; Afterschool runs September to June.
** Age: Targeted participants will begin the multi-year programming through internships in the summer after Junior Cert, before choosing Leaving Cert subjects.
*** Teen-Turn has partner taxi providers, familiar with transport for children practices, for locations inaccessible by public transport.

Reporting

Regulatory and financial reporting available here.

Governance

Governance information available here.