Initiatives for Youth
Dropout Prevention and Recovery Initiatives:
School-to-Career and P-21/High School Graduation Workgroup
School-to-Career
Combining work and learning is a powerful and effective dropout prevention strategy providing many students a reason to stay in school. Students who participate in school-to-career programs attend school more regularly and graduate at a higher rate than their peers. Students also gain valuable work experience, career awareness and connections outside their communities. Under the direction of the Regional Employment Board, four local School-to-Career Partnerships connect high school students with area employers offering work-based learning experiences.
Benefits of work and learning-
Effective Dropout Prevention and Recovery
Combining work and learning is a powerful and effective dropout prevention strategy. Students who participate in school-to-career programs attend school more regularly and graduate at a higher rate than their peers. For students holding school-to-career internships, the dropout issue virtually disappears. Students gain valuable work experience, career awareness, and connections outside their communities.
Increase College Enrollment
The Center for Labor Market Studies has documented that students are more likely to enroll in college if they hold a summer job during high school. The advantage grows for seniors whose internships continue into the school year. After graduation, participants are more likely to be employed, whether in college or not. Summer jobs and school year internships motivate students to make informed decisions about college and career.
Extending the Classroom to the Workplace
Education must extend beyond the school day and the school year, particularly for high school students. There are a set of skills that are best learned by extending the classroom to the workplace, by making the workplace a learning place. These are the habits of work and productivity - communication, collaboration, problem solving, time management and initiative. The benefits of school-to-career compound over a career. Youth employment, when connected to school, is second only to educational credentials as a predictor of future earnings.
For more information contact one of the local Partnerships:
Springfield School-to-Career Partnership
Jeffrey Welch, Coordinator
(413) 787-7121
welchj@sps.springfield.ma.us
River West School-to-Career Partnership (Greater Westfield)
Tom Misiewicz, Director
(413) 564-3182
Tjmisiewicz70@comcast.net
River East School-to-Career Partnership (Wilbraham/Palmer Area)
Loretta Dansereau, Director
(413) 283-5051
restcareer@yahoo.com
Holyoke/Chicopee School-to-Career Partnership
Norman LeBlanc, Director
(413) 543-2086
nleblanc@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Pathways to Success by 21/High School Graduation Workgroup
The Pathways to Success by 21 (P-21) initiative, whose funding ended in FY'09 brought together local community-based organizations , state partners and schools to improve educational and employment outcomes for at-risk youth. The Hampden County project contidued its work under a High School Graduation Workgroup to address dropout prevention activities with vulnerable middle school and high school youth and dropout recovery efforts with older "disconnected" youth who are out of school and out of work.
Objectives include increasing high school graduation rates, particularly in Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee, increasing the number of at-risk youth transitioning to post-secondary education and training, improving employment outcomes for older youth, reconnecting dropouts with education and employment preparation programs and developing strategies to better align state and local resources and programs to more effective serve at-risk youth.
As part of the Pathways to Success by 21 (P21) program at the Hampden REB, a GED Curriculum for Learners Aged 16-21 was developed. Click here to access that curriculum.
Another product of the P-21 Initiative is the "Think Again: The Connection Between Education and True Independence" Video and Discussion Guide. This youth-driven, youth-directed public information piece features young people offering their wisdom from personal experience on dropping out of school, the impact it has had on their lives, and the decisions they have made to pursue education as a pathway to a career and a better life. Local youth from Hampden County are featured in this video and their stories demonstrate the significance of quality youth programs and how critical it is for them to get the support they need.
This "Youth Friendly" Tool is available online with information to help guide youth discussions around this topic. Please link directly to the Commonwealth Corporation website below to download the view and download the video, guide and handouts.
http://www.commcorp.org/p21/thinkagain.html
For more information contact:
Melissa Scibelli
REB Youth Project Manager
(413) 755-1360
mscibelli@rebhc.org
