Denver offers $1,000 bonuses to some teens and young adults who work summer jobs

Students listen to Joy Giles, community liaison with Art Garage, facing camera, talks about potential jobs during a job fair on May 3, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

The city of Denver announced Monday that it would pay $1,000 bonuses to qualifying young people who log at least 100 hours at a job this summer.

The payments — available to Denverites ages 14 to 21 years old — are part of a broader effort Mayor Mike Johnston’s office is spearheading this summer to drive down rates of youth violence.

“We are thinking about this as a multi-pronged approach to how we can engage young people into positive summer activities and how we can help prevent the risks of summer violence,” Johnston said during a morning news conference.

The YouthWorks initiative will be funded through a $1 million state grant, according to city officials.

City officials say the program is designed to provide payments to up to 1,000 youths in the city. The program will prioritize low-income households. The online application says household income information will be required, including whether applicants received free or reduced-price lunches at school and if their households qualify for food stamps or Medicaid.

Besides the work bonuses, Johnston on Monday touted the city’s creation of a website that will be a one-stop-shop for all summer programming for young Denverites. That website — DenverGov.org/YouthSummer — on Monday featured an interactive map with links to programs offered through Denver Public Schools, Denver Public Libraries, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and other organizations.

That site also includes the registration link for the YouthWorks initiative.

Johnston’s summer strategy also includes a $500,000 grant program for community organizations seeking funding for special events — whether barbecues or basketball tournaments — that serve young people and families. The Denver Office of Children’s Affairs will be administering those grants.

Melissa Janiszewski, the deputy director of that office, said that in order to receive the $1,000 payments, young people will have to be prequalified based on their family’s income. She described the payments as a “retention bonus.”