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The Youth Employment Skills (YES) Program is an on-base volunteer program for high school students and is offered at selected Air Force bases. This program, underwritten by the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), is a joint effort between AFAS and Air Force Family Member Programs Flight to offer high school students an opportunity to learn valuable work skills, "bank" dollar credits toward their post-secondary education/training, and have a positive impact on their base community.
YES allows high school students to "bank" $4 in grant funding (as of 6/1/98) for every hour volunteered in an on base function. Students may accumulate as much as 250 hours over all 4 years of high school combined, for a potential maximum of $1,000 toward their future vocational-technical or academic endeavors. In addition, the base will be credited with $2 for every volunteer hour, to be used in support of base youth program enhancements (up to $10,000 per year).
Student volunteer dollar credits will be disbursed annually. Proposals for use of these credits will be made jointly from both the Youth Director and the participating students. AFAS HQ will give final approval before disbursement of funds. Suggestions for proposals include visible enhancements such as recreation improvements, computer labs for student use, money management programs for youth, and informational seminars on local Vo-Tech/Career opportunities (Vo-Tech Job Fairs).
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YES Eligiblity Requirements:
- Dependent sons and daughters of Active Duty Air Force members, assigned to a participating base,
and living on or off base. (Retirement or separation from service immediately terminates eligibility for
program participation. Any funds earned to that point will be held in an account until graduation from
high school.)
- Enrolled in a high school attending full-time as freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors. (For
purposes of this program, summer periods will count toward next higher grade level; i.e. summer
period after sophomore year counts as junior, summer after junior year counts as senior.)
- Not otherwise excluded from workplace volunteer positions because of local/state/country labor
laws and/or safety restrictions
- Student volunteer is interviewed for positions coordinated by Youth Director and base agencies
appropriate for the YES Program.
- Once selected for a volunteer position, the student and eligible Active Duty parent must complete
the AFAS YES Enrollment Application.
- Youth Director receives application, verifies student's eligibility and parent's status, and forwards
correctly completed form to AFAS HQ.
- AFAS HQ will establish a YES Program "account" for the student volunteer to track hours and
dollar credits per student and per base.
- Youth Director will coordinate with Supervisors of student volunteer positions and provide monthly
time sheets to AFAS HQ documenting hours volunteered and assuring satisfactory progress of
volunteers.
- All high school student volunteers will "bank" volunteer dollar credits at a rate of $4 per volunteer
hour worked in an on-base capacity. (Maximum of 250 hours and $1,000 in dollar credits over all
years of high school combined.)
- Hours volunteered under a school program, other community programs and/or mandated community service hours
will not qualify for "banking" either student volunteer credits or base community credits under the YES Program.
YES Program hours must be volunteered above and beyond any other such required service
- Participation eligibility and accrual of credits terminates upon high school graduation or 31 May of senior year,
whichever comes first. Immediate termination of participation eligibility occurs upon withdrawal
from high school and/or sponsoring parent's separation/retirement from Active Duty, or PCS to non-participating base.
However, these students may still receive their "banked" credits upon completion of high school under
the same terms as other students who remain enrolled in high school or whose sponsoring parent remains Active Duty.
- Upon completion of high school, student volunteers will be required to provide AFAS HQ with a
copy of graduation certificate/diploma, showing completion date, and verify current mailing address.
- Student volunteers must be enrolled in an approved post-secondary institution and claim funds no
later than one year from date of documented high school completion.
Otherwise, any and all dollar credits will be forfeited.
- For disbursement of "banked" credits in grant form, the student volunteer must submit to AFAS
HQ a bill/invoice from their post secondary institution showing school's name, mailing address, and
tuition due. Student's name, address, and SSN must also be provided. Note: A minimum of 25
volunteer hours ($100 in credits) must be "banked" for any disbursement to be made.
- All grant checks will be made payable to the school and used solely for tuition, books, fees, and
other direct educational costs.
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