Getting Kids Job

Origin Story
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer started Parramore Kidz Zone in
2006 to level the playing field for Parramore’s children,
equipping them to become successful, healthy, well-educated,
financially secured adults using evidence-based principals.

The youth employment program primarily served to place

youth into jobs at recreational facilities around the city.
 2017
The question of what more?
Give a child a fish
 Summer of 2017
• Over 25 sites partnered with across the City of Orlando
• Over 120 youths partnered with sites
• Other than Rec Centers, we’ve partnered with local
businesses:
• PopCorn Junkie
• Doubletree Hotel
• Partnered with Political Officials/Government facilities:
• Senator Marco Rubio’s office
• Orlando Fire Department
• City Hall’s Finance/Accounting Department
Combined Bi-weekly Evaluations

95% of youth scored Satisfactory or

above ratings by employers.
“We want to work for ourselves”
Fall 2017
 The Environment
•The Parramore Heritage Neighborhood is a 1.4 square mile geographic area west of
downtown Orlando. It's bounded on the north by SR 50/Colonial Dr, east by Interstate
4, south by Gore Ave, and on the west by SR 441/S. Orange Blossom Trail. The zip code
is 32805, one of the lowest income areas in the Central Florida region.

•Parramore community is classified as a food desert with limited healthy food choices,
the City of Orlando’s Sustainability Office, in partnership with Orlando City Soccer
management, is launching a farmer’s market in the Parramore community that will
operate every Saturday starting in January 2018.

•Because a large part of the objective in starting the farmers market in the Parramore
community is to help alleviate impacts of the food desert, SNAP benefits will be
welcomed as payment for the healthy foods found at the market.
 Environment continued
•Youth residing in Parramore 1,351 (under age 18), 835 (ages 18-24), total 2,186 (2010
census)

•Population 96% Black, 2% Hispanic, 2% white,

•98% of the children qualify for free or reduced lunch.

•The child poverty rate in the Parramore Heritage Neighborhood is estimated to be 53%
(2015 American Community Survey),

•The neighborhood's median household income is $13,613 as compared to $42,418 for the
City of Orlando and $48,429 for the County.
 Environment concluded
•Further, 84% of Parramore households are led by single parents and 47%
of Parramore adults over the age of 25 have not earned a high school
diploma or GED.

•With a poverty rate that is 250% greater than in the rest of Orlando and
324% greater when compared to Florida rates (areavibes.com)

•The unemployment rate in Parramore is three times greater than the

average rate in Orlando and 162% greater than the national average, and
youth unemployment rates are higher with only 1 in 10 employed
(areavibes.com).

• Research shows an increased likelihood of adult unemployment and

lower earnings among those who experience unemployment at an early
age.
 Purpose

•The mission of Black Bee Honey is to provide Parramore youth an

opportunity to operate and manage their own business while
simultaneously addressing the food desert issue and providing the
residents of the greater Orlando area high quality, nutritional, honey.

• Proceeds made from the business is reinvested back to the business.

Any additional proceeds goes to the youth for scholarships, college
applications, college testing, and crisis aversion.
 Training
•Honey/Bees
•Create business plan
•Communication/Soft skills
•Marketing/Branding
•Sales tactics
•Basic accounting
•Inventory
•Leadership
Farmer’s Market
 Partnerships
•Downtown Double Tree Hotel Downtown

•Popcorn Junkie

•Artisans Table

•Ivanhoe Brewery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVvWIN
SZKg
 Today
Black Bee honey is stronger than ever working to cultivate more local/national
partnerships and have increased our youth participation to 30 youth!
• The City of Orlando currently employs
888 youth ages 15 to 25.
• City general revenues cover the cost
of 701 youth employees.
• Salaries of the remaining 187 youth
employees are covered by grants. Of
these, 106 are employed via the
federally-funded AmeriCorps program.
Impact: Crime and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
• As a result of this work, juvenile arrests have
declined 63% and teen births have declined 73%
in Parramore since 2006.
Trends in Juvenile Arrests: Trends in Teen Births:
Parramore, 2006-2016 Parramore, 2006-2016
45

41
673
608
40
Down
Down 73%
35
518 63% 32
Numb er of Arrests

480 31
30 29
28 28
27

316 298 25

21
226 239 230
20
18
159
15
15

11
10
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016
Thank you!