Youth Workforce Development Program

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Program Description

The ASCENDtials Publishing & Printing House Workforce Development Program is a free, paid workforce training program for San Diego youth ages 16–24. The program is designed to help young people gain real, marketable creative and professional skills while earning $16/hour for eligible program participation and paid production work.

Through hands-on training in publishing, printing, design, entrepreneurship, and social enterprise operations, participants will learn how to create real products, work with real clients, build a professional portfolio, and develop pathways toward employment, freelance work, entrepreneurship, or continued education.

The program is funded by the County of San Diego District Attorney’s Community Grant Program and serves youth in San Diego’s District 4 and surrounding communities.

Program Purpose

ASCENDtials created this program to provide young people with a structured, paid, creative workforce opportunity that builds both technical skills and professional confidence.

The program gives youth access to hands-on training, mentorship, paid work experience, and a supportive creative studio environment. The goal is to help participants build skills that can translate into real economic opportunity.

Youth will leave the program with practical experience in design, printing, publishing, client work, customer service, branding, pricing, sales, entrepreneurship, and portfolio development.

The program also supports youth in developing a stronger sense of purpose, belonging, cultural identity, and future direction. Participants are not only learning technical skills. They are also learning how to see themselves as designers, publishers, entrepreneurs, workers, and creative professionals.

Publishing & Printing House Workforce Development Program

Who the Program Serves

The program is open to San Diego youth ages 16–24, including students, recent graduates, young adults not currently in school or working, and youth who are interested in creative careers, entrepreneurship, business, design, publishing, printing, social media, or hands-on workforce training.

The program is especially intended for youth who may not have easy access to paid internships, career training, creative industry networks, or professional portfolio-building opportunities. No prior design, printing, publishing, or business experience is required.

Free program · Ages 16–24 · No prior experience required

Youth creative training and publishing work

Who Can Apply

Open to San Diego youth ages 16–24, including students, recent graduates, young adults not currently in school or working, and youth interested in creative careers, entrepreneurship, business, design, publishing, printing, social media, or hands-on workforce training.

Publishing, printing, and design cohort training

Program Capacity

The program will serve 60 youth per year through two cohorts.
Each cohort will include approximately 30 participants.

Publishing and printing program materials

Program Length

Each cohort will run for approximately 10–12 weeks.
Participants will meet 2–3 times per week.
Sessions are designed to accommodate youth who may be in school, working part-time, or managing other responsibilities.

Weekly Schedule

Tuesdays & Thursdays

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Monday, Wednesday & Friday

3 hours of remote work for ASCENDtials

Once A Week

Onsite volunteering at an ASCENDtials event

Two cohorts will be available, beginning late summer 2026.

Quick Program Details

Who It Serves

San Diego youth ages 16–24

Cost

Free

Pay

$16/hour for eligible program work

Length

10–12 weeks per cohort

Schedule

2–3 sessions per week

Meeting Times

Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Saturday mornings

Location

District 4 / Downtown San Diego area

Capacity

30 youth per cohort, 60 youth per year

Cohorts

Two cohorts available

Start Date

Late summer 2026

Experience Required

No prior experience required

Funded By

County of San Diego District Attorney’s Community Grant Program

Location

– Program services will take place in the District 4 / Downtown San Diego area at the ASCENDtials Publishing & Printing House studio.
– The studio is designed as a creative production and training space where youth can learn, practice, create, and complete real publishing and printing projects. The program takes place in a hands-on environment equipped for design, printing, publishing, and production work.

What Participants Will Learn

Participants will receive hands-on training in creative, technical, and business skills, including:

Print design
Graphic layout
Typography
Zine-making
Small-batch publishing
Poster design
Booklet and workbook production
Sticker production
Apparel and tote production
Merchandise design
Photography
Copywriting
Social media basics
E-commerce basics
Branding
Marketing
Pricing
Client management
Customer service
Sales
Market booth operations
Entrepreneurship
Micro-business development
Portfolio development
Professional presentation skills

What Participants May Create

Posters
Prints
Zines
Booklets
Workbooks
Curriculum guides
Community publications
Cultural storytelling booklets
Vendor Academy handbooks
Outdoor Learning Village guides
Yacht Club materials
Stickers
Apparel
Tote bags
Flyers
Social media graphics
Other printed and digital materials for ASCENDtials programs, community partners, and external clients

Participants will also gain experience with real client production work. This may include working on print orders for ASCENDtials programs, community partners, and external clients. Youth will learn how to take a project from idea to design, production, pricing, packaging, presentation, and distribution.

Program Benefits

What Participants Will Do

Participants will learn by creating real products for real audiences.

The program is project-based, meaning youth will begin working on actual deliverables early in the program instead of only completing practice assignments.

Paid Workforce Experience

Participants will earn $16/hour for eligible program work and paid production shifts.

The paid structure is an important part of the program. Youth are compensated for their labor and learning while gaining real experience in a creative workforce setting.

Instead of only receiving a completion award at the end, participants are paid for eligible work during the program, helping reduce financial barriers to participation.

Portfolio Development

A major goal of the program is for each participant to build a professional portfolio.

Throughout the cohort, participants will collect, refine, and present their completed design, publishing, and print production work.

Portfolio development sessions will help youth organize both digital and physical examples of their work for future job applications, freelance opportunities, client pitches, school programs, or creative entrepreneurship.

By the end of the program, participants should have a stronger understanding of how to present themselves professionally and how to talk about their creative and technical skills.

Business & Entrepreneurship Training

In addition to design and production skills, the program includes training in business literacy and entrepreneurship.

Participants will learn how creative products are priced, marketed, sold, and delivered.

They will also learn how to communicate with clients, manage orders, understand branding, handle customer service, and participate in market booth or social enterprise operations.

Hands-On Experience

Café, Market, and Social Enterprise Operations

Participants will also be introduced to customer-facing business operations through café, food service, market booth, and social enterprise training connected to ASCENDtials and partner locations.

This may include learning customer service, sales, product display, pricing, branding, market setup, and basic business operations.

These experiences help participants develop professional habits and transferable workplace skills that can apply to many different industries.

Guidance & Development

Mentorship and Support

Participants will receive guidance from program staff, instructors, mentors, and community partners. The program includes group instruction as well as individual check-ins to support participants with skill development, professional growth, and barriers to participation.

Mentorship is a key part of the program because youth are not only learning how to make products. They are also learning how to communicate professionally, complete projects, receive feedback, manage responsibilities, and plan for future opportunities.

The goal is to help participants build both technical ability and professional confidence through consistent guidance and real-world experience.

Present & Celebrate

Community Showcase

Each cohort will include opportunities for youth to present and share their finished work. Participants may showcase their designs, publications, printed products, apparel, portfolios, or community materials to peers, families, employers, partners, and community members.

The showcase gives participants public presentation experience and allows them to celebrate their work while connecting with potential future opportunities.

Continue Forward

Follow-Up and Next Steps After Completion

After completing the program, participants may receive referrals and connections to creative industry employers, freelance networks, further education, or continued opportunities within ASCENDtials’ broader program ecosystem.

ASCENDtials may also provide follow-up check-ins after completion to learn about participants’ employment status, continued education, challenges, and support needs.

Participants may also be invited to stay connected to ASCENDtials programs, including ongoing opportunities connected to the Publishing House, Vendor Academy, Outdoor Learning Village, Water Steward programming, Yacht Club programming, markets, retreats, and community events.

Expected Participant Outcomes

By the end of the program, participants are expected to gain:

– Professional-grade creative skills
– Real client project experience
– Paid workforce experience
– A professional design portfolio
– Business and entrepreneurship knowledge

– Customer service and sales experience
– Confidence presenting their work
– Stronger professional identity
– Connections to mentors and future opportunities
– A clearer pathway toward employment, freelance work, entrepreneurship, or continued education

Broader Community Impact

The program is designed to strengthen San Diego’s creative economy by creating a paid workforce pipeline for young people who may otherwise lack access to creative career opportunities.
The Publishing & Printing House also benefits the broader District 4 community by producing community publications, cultural materials, printed resources, public-facing creative work, and youth-made products that amplify local voices and support ASCENDtials’ community programming.
Through this program, ASCENDtials aims to create a lasting creative production hub where youth can build skills, earn income, connect with mentors, and contribute to community storytelling, cultural production, and local economic development.

Public Description

ASCENDtials is now enrolling San Diego youth ages 16–24 for the Publishing & Printing House Workforce Development Program, a free paid training opportunity in design, printing, publishing, business, and entrepreneurship.
Participants will earn $16/hour for eligible program work while learning real creative and professional skills. Youth will work on client projects, create printed materials and community publications, build a professional portfolio, and gain hands-on experience in a working creative studio.
The program is free to participate in, meets 2–3 times per week, and includes two cohorts beginning late summer 2026. No prior experience is required.