Project Toolbox headed out Monday for a day of sand, sun, and seals. Dozen of teens hopped on a bus for a hike around Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County, a known rookery for elephant seals. The seals frequent the area between December and March.
Project Toolbox is a program put on by the City of Stockton aimed at providing career building and job skill training opportunities for teens.
“All the trips that they go on, or at least the majority of them, some of them are a little bit more more fun in nature than others, but we try to introduce to them to somebody in that career field so they can talk and ask questions,” Community Services Program Manager Thomas Freeman said.
Past trips included visits with the Stockton Kings, college tours and meeting trades workers at the San Joaquin Building and Construction Trades Council.
“The whole goal is to introduce teens to different careers, or the different pathways after high school,” Freeman said.
Free admission, lunch and transportation are included on all trips. Pick up points are at the Arnold Rue Community Center and Weston Ranch Public Library.
“We’re fortunate enough here to have Measure M which funds all of these team activities for us, and so that’s why they get to do everything completely free,” Freeman said. “So that’s the Measure M and tax dollars at work.”
Upcoming trips include:
- Spicer Sno-Park at the Stanislaus National Forest on Feb. 28.
- Walt Disney Family Museum on March 20.
- The Tech Interactive on April 3.
- California’s Great America on May 9.
Interested individuals can register at https://castocktonweb.myvscloud.com/ under teen programming.
Information on other programs in San Joaquin County can be found in the City of Stockton Activity Guide.
Additonal information on the seals that call Año Nuevo State Park home.
Males average 14-16 feet in length, can weigh up to 5,000 pounds and live up to 15 years. Females average seven and a half to 10 feet in length, can weigh up to 1,700 pounds and live up to 23 years.
