Tradebe Environmental Services partners with Boys & Girls club of east Chicago to support youth development and scholarship programs

• Partnership Includes Sponsorship of Annual Youth Summit to Help Prepare Students for the Workplace 
• This Initiative also launches a $500 Scholarship for Academic or Career Development Expenses 

East Chicago, IN – July 28, 2025 – Tradebe Environmental Services US reaffirmed its commitment to empowering youth through education and career readiness by sponsoring the 2025 Youth Summit with a $25,000 contribution. The event was held from July 22 to July 25 at the Boys & Girls Club of East Chicago.  

This is the third consecutive year that Tradebe has hosted the summit, partnering with the Boys & Girls Club this year to enhance this impactful event, which aligns with its global strategy to empower local communities.

The company has invested in the summit to directly expand teen programming, underwrite the addition of a dedicated teen coordinator at the East Chicago Club and support career building activities and seminars. Throughout the week, participants engaged in workshops focused on resume-building, interview skills, STEM activities, and workforce education. 

As part of the summit, a new $500 Leadership Scholarship was introduced, awarded to the student who best exemplified the core values of both Tradebe and the Boys & Girls Club: productivity, responsibility, caring, integrity, and dynamic engagement. The Scholarship will be administered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of East Chicago and made available for approved academic or career development expenses, including college or trade school costs, certification programs, leadership activities, and school supplies. 

To help remove barriers and expand access for local youth, entry costs were fully covered for students attending the annual Youth Summit who were not already members of the Club. The event also included a hands-on bicycle-building project, where participants assembled bikes to be donated to children in the community. 

“We believe in the importance of creating opportunities for young people to grow, lead, and succeed in our communities. By investing in workforce readiness and supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs, we hope to inspire more companies to step up and help prepare local youth for the future” said Jill Long, EVP People & Culture at Tradebe Environmental Services US.

“Corporate partnerships are beneficial to all concerned.  Businesses can develop a pipeline of potential new employees when they partner with our amazing teens at our ten Clubs across the region. They also support their current workforce by investing in the high quality, affordable after school care our Clubs provide their children. Our Club kids, in return, benefit from incredible career exploration, mentoring, and first job opportunities with businesses who truly care about them.  We are incredibly thankful to Tradebe, the very first local business to join us in building this new mutually beneficial corporate partnership strategy which includes financial support and public service.  With their dedicated service to our East Chicago Club, Tradebe is investing not just directly in our kids, but in both the current and the future success of their community,” said Mike Jessen, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Club of East Chicago.