Silver Dollar City is partnering with local schools to provide summer jobs for kids while also combating a work shortage at the park.

Students in Bradeyville and Taneyville have been coming out to apply for summer jobs through a program with Silver Dollar City. Close to 50 kids will go through the interview process and if selected, will be part of a work program that starts in June and ends in early August.

Forsyth High School freshman Emily Marsh said she’s looking forward to the idea of her first job.

“I think it’d be cool to get experience about a job,” Marsh said. “I’ve never had one before.”

Dr. Tara Roberts, Superintendent for the Taneyville schools said the program doesn’t just put money in kids’ pockets while they’re on summer break.

“It just opens up the opportunity for them to be able to start getting those skills that they need to be in the workforce,” Roberts said. “And so we just thought this would be a really good thing for them to be able to participate in.”

One of the hurdles in these smaller communities is transportation for kids working jobs in the summer. To confront rising gas prices, the schools will bring the kids to Silver Dollar City on buses and the theme park will reimburse the school districts.

Silver Dollar City HR Director John Zajac said that money should be put into the district and not the gas tank.

“We came up with the agreement to say, hey, you know, if the school is willing to bus the students to us, we can reimburse them for their driver and for their fuel costs, too, to make sure that the school district, which needs to pour their funds into their students, isn’t out anything out of pocket for this venture,” Zajac said.

He said the program could impact kids more than a summer paycheck.

“Maybe we can not just impact their lives this summer, but maybe we can impact their lives moving forward and their communities that they serve in,” Zajac said.

Silver Dollar City said they are currently in talks with more schools to be added to the program.

A video feature can be seen on the Ozarks First Website.

(Story by Parker Padgett and Connor Wilson, Ozarks First)