Valley teens get Waymo rides to paid internships in Boys & Girls Clubs pilot program

PHOENIX — Getting to a job can be just as hard as landing one—especially for teenagers in the Phoenix metro area.

Extreme heat, spread-out neighborhoods and limited late-night transit options leave many Valley teens dependent on parents or public transportation that doesn’t always reach where they need to go.

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“One of the biggest barriers we find… we hear from our kids and our families, is transportation,” said Josh Stine, VP of External Affairs for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley. “If their parents can’t get them there, and maybe the bus isn’t working, or they can’t get access to the light rail, it limits opportunities to take internships.”

Now, BGCAZ is doing something about it.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley just launched the AZYouthforce Workforce Mobility Pilot in Phoenix, pairing up to 40 teens with autonomous Waymo rides to and from paid summer internships, at no cost to participants.

The program taps into Waymo’s teen accounts feature, launched in Phoenix last year, which allows riders as young as 14 to travel independently once a parent links their account.

From there, teens can hail fully self-driving rides across more than 300 square miles of the Valley on their own.

For intern Genesis Sabinon, the prospect is both a relief and a thrill.

“Both of my parents work, so it would definitely be stressful,” she said. “But now, not only am I not stressed out, but my parents are not stressed out. I don’t have to worry about transportation, so it’s all good.”

She’s been on a Waymo before.

“…and it’s pretty cool, honestly… no driver or anything,” she said. “Being able to listen to your music and everything… That’s the best part.”

Before the rides began, teens and their parents went through safety training, set up the Waymo app, and took a ride together in a fully autonomous vehicle.

Intern Lylah Peterson said the hands-on orientation made all the difference.

“I feel very safe. They explained it really well — all the features that are designed to get us there safely,” she said.

Her mother, Jessica Peterson, couldn’t agree more.

“This is a great opportunity. Not having to worry about the safety and whatnot — it’s worth its weight in gold,” she said. “It’s just so convenient for working mothers, like myself. This is amazing.”

And it’s more than a ride; it’s a research study.

The eight-week pilot, funded by the Legacy Institute, is also designed as a formal research study.

Some interns will use Waymo, while others rely on the bus passes and light rail already provided by the clubs.

An independent evaluator will track how transportation access affects attendance, punctuality, family stress, and long-term workforce outcomes — with the goal of determining whether autonomous vehicle access can meaningfully expand opportunity for underserved youth.

Researchers hope the findings will serve as a replicable model for other cities facing similar transit challenges.

For Lylah Peterson, the bottom line is simple.

“I’ll definitely be able to get to work on time. And being able to know that I get to go back home — and get there — all for free, is amazing.”

The AZYouthforce program connects teens ages 14 to 21 with paid internships, career training, and employer partnerships across the Valley.

The Workforce Mobility Pilot kicks off with the summer internship season.

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