A $1,000,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor has funded the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) to give out-of-school youths 17 to 22 years of age a chance to work toward their high school diplomas while being paid to work on community service projects.
Click here to download the application form.
Coordinator Patrick Moore told The Mountain Enterprise he will extend the YouthBuild deadline for Frazier Mountain area candidates to July 12 (from July 8) and will accept applications by email or fax.
“They must meet [age and income] eligibility requirements,” he said, “and participate in a Mental Toughness class (July 15-26) and be selected to participate.”
He explained that the Mental Toughness training “is designed to ensure that participants are willing to take on the challenges of the program and commit to completing its many educational and career goals.”
The paid job-training portion of the program lasts six months and the academic portion continues until the completion of a high school diploma.
Fieldwork is completed Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Tuesday and Thursday dedicated to classroom instruction at the Blanton Education Center, a community school run by KCSOS.
Sixteen participants will be chosen for the next class, from Aug. 5 through Jan. 31, 2014. The deadline to apply is July 12 for Mountain Community youth. To download an application, go to kern.org/grants/2012/12/youthbuild-recruitment/ .
Students must get to the school site in Bakersfield by 8 a.m. “If it’s a worksite day we transport participants in school vans,” Moore said. Carpools may be available from the Mountain Communities to get to the classes.
“YouthBuild helps young people who might otherwise slip through the cracks to get the training they will need for future success. We’ve seen the program lift their spirits as well,” Moore added.
For questions about the Kern YouthBuild program, contact Patrick Moore at 661-636-4211 or email at pamoore@kern.org.–PH
This is part of the July 5, 2013 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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