Just say YES Published June 21, 2013 By Nick Stubbs Thunderbolt editor MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Sometimes teens are urged to "just say no," but the MacDill Youth Center is encouraging high school students to say "YES" this summer. YES stands for Youth Employment Skills,, a program that allows MacDill freshmen and older to volunteer for a variety of jobs on base to earn secondary education money they can bank to use later. "We really want to get the word out," said Loretta Gaines, assistant youth programs director and coordinator of the YES program. "It (YES) provides many working skills and prepares them for the future." Students have the option of volunteering at the base clinic, the library, the Fitness Center, the Youth Center or in the School Age Program. Students can work up to 20 or 30 hours, with each hour earning them $4 toward future vocational or college courses courtesy of the Air Force Aid Society. Students are permitted to bank up to 250 hours during their high school careers, which means up to $1,000. In addition, MacDill receives $2 per hour to help fund youth programs on base. "These are real jobs, and they (participants) are treated just like employees," said Gaines. "If they are late for work, they are counseled or disciplined; there are dress codes and responsibilities just like in the working world." The YES program is open only to the children of active duty Air Force members. For more information, contact the Youth Center at 813-828-7956.