After a lottery that picked 220 winners, all of the fun and work came to an end on Thursday. The City of Selma had a closing presentation for the City of Selma Youth Employment Program, sending them out into the world with what they hope to be real-world experiences.

“We have gotten overwhelming positive response from the community agencies and from many of the city department heads,” Director of personnel services for the City of Selma, Valerie Jones said. “As a matter of fact, many of the children have expressed how much they enjoyed it and asked if they can continue on for a longer period of time and asked about returning next summer.”

During the closing presentation five students came to the podium to briefly speak about what they learned over the summer and then a presentation was given to the students about gang violence and safe driving. Derriet Moore gave the gang violence and bullying presentation, and then students were given a quiz on distractive driving.

“These were pressing current-day issues that are facing youth,” Jones said about why Personnel Services decided to educate the students on those topics.

Jones said because these problems are relevant to the city’s youth, the youth seemed to be really interested and engaged during the whole event.

This year 220 students were given jobs through the program and Selma Mayor George Evans said he hopes to make that number 300 in 2013.

“I was very pleased with their work ethic and I’m sorry to see them go,” Evans said. “I wish we could keep them all year round.”

He said he was impressed with the student’s work ethic and said the youth in the program were very helpful to the city.

“They were very good company and they did a lot of good work,” Evans said. “They were enthusiastic about their work, they showed up on time, they did their job and they had personalities as a plus.”