Welcome to WorkWell: Where Youth Step Into Purpose

Written by, Stefanie Nsubuga

Director of Community Services

This summer, nearly 100 youth from across Nashville will take on more than just a job. Through our WorkWell Youth Jobs Initiative, they are stepping into roles designed to prepare them for leadership, responsibility, and long-term success in the workplace. Whether they’re just entering the workforce or taking on greater responsibility, WorkWell offers young people the opportunity to contribute meaningfully and grow intentionally.

WorkWell is made up of youth and young adults from “Generation Z”—also known as Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2012, a generation that has been both widely praised and frequently critiqued. They’ve been called innovative, empathetic, and values-driven. At the same time, they’ve been labeled unmotivated, overly sensitive, or unprepared for the pressures of the workforce. According to a 2022 Deloitte Global survey, nearly half of Gen Z workers report feeling anxious or stressed most of the time, often due to financial insecurity and work-life imbalance (Deloitte, 2022). Meanwhile, employers continue to report gaps in soft skills like communication, adaptability, and the ability to receive feedback (SHRM, 2021).

At WorkWell, we don’t shrug off these critiques—but we don’t accept them as the final word, either. WorkWell exists to provide meaningful summer jobs for youth ages 14–24 in Nashville to become confident and skilled leaders in the workplace. Every participant is hired into a real job aligned with a real-world industry—whether that’s building operations and logistics, hospitality and events, education and child development, community service with older adults, urban landscaping, sustainable agriculture, or media and communications. These aren’t simulated experiences—they’re real responsibilities with clear expectations and outcomes.

In addition to their job responsibilities, all youth will complete 28 hours of professional development, gaining critical soft skills like how to take feedback with humility, manage a project, adapt to change, speak publicly, resolve conflict, and lead with integrity. These are the skills that employers say matter most—and the ones that build both confidence and career readiness (LinkedIn Learning, 2023).

This summer’s theme, “Owning Your Growth: Building Habits for Leadership and Employability,” is a direct challenge to our youth—not to be perfect, but to be present, engaged, and responsible for who they are becoming. For our high school youth, we anchor the summer with this truth:

“Discipline is doing what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like doing it.”- Unknown

And for our college-aged near peers, who are stepping into mentorship and support roles:

“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” —Simon Sinek

The program will culminate in an End-of-Summer Showcase, where youth present the projects they’ve worked on and reflect on the personal and professional growth they’ve experienced. But more than the work itself, what will be on display is the transformation: the confidence, communication, and clarity of young people who now see themselves as capable of contributing meaningfully to the world around them.

As a program of Global Outreach Developments International, WorkWell is rooted in a broader mission: to equip a globally conscious community to serve the poor and marginalized through education, advocacy, and empowerment. Preparing young people for employment is not a side project—it is a vital part of building just, sustainable, and empowered communities.

We don’t see Gen Z as a liability—we see them as leaders in the making. This summer, they’re not just showing up. They’re stepping up and we cannot wait to be a part of their development.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

(Proverbs 22:6, ESV)