BSO CONTINUES TO PLANT A S.E.E.D. IN DEERFIELD BEACH

By Gerdy St. Louis/PIO, Courtesy of BSO

The Broward Sheriff’s Office Deerfield Beach Community Outreach Resource and Education (CORE) team, under the guidance of BSO’s Deerfield Beach Captain Adam Hofstein, is continuing its commitment to planting a S.E.E.D. in Deerfield Beach.

Launched in February 2021, the Skills Enhancement and Employment Development (S.E.E.D.) initiative teaches young adults how to apply, dress and interview for a job. BSO developed the program following multiple conversations between members of BSO’s Deerfield Beach CORE team and teens within the community who expressed their gap in knowledge on how to obtain employment. This lack of awareness created an opportunity for BSO to step in and educate.

Through a partnership with Deerfield Beach High School, 17 students, with parental permission, were selected to participate in a series of three-hour classes held at the Johnny L. Tigner Community Center. The classes occurred over a span of four Saturdays in the months of March and April. The curriculum concentrated on job application completion and submission, resumè writing, professional etiquette and demeanor, professional business attire and interview techniques.

During the course of the program, mentors worked with participants to draft professional resumès for future job searches. These newly-trained students were then outfitted with appropriate interview-style clothing from Burlington Coat Factory using funds donated by Kiwanis of Deerfield Beach.

As part of their graduation, on the last day of class, the now-professionally-dressed students participated in numerous mock interviews with volunteers for jobs in industries such as food-service, public safety, hospitality, child care, private sector, and several other fields. Students were challenged during the interviews and given opportunities to learn about the job interview experience through open dialogue.

At the graduation ceremony, which took place on Saturday, April 9, Captain Hofstein and BSO Deerfield Beach District deputy Joseph LoMonaco provided valuable tips on securing employment, shared encouraging words and congratulated the students for completing the course. Each student also received a certificate of completion.

The S.E.E.D. initiative could not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of BSO deputies, Kiwanis of Deerfield Beach and the agency’s other community partners.