About Envision Youth
To find out how Envision Youth can help you find the answers you need or make a decision for your future continue to read.
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"To get rich, never risk your health. For it is the truth that health is the wealth of wealth."
Get Ready to Live, Laugh & Learn!
The WIA Youth Program offers a broad range of services to youth between the ages of 14 and 21 who are Juniors or Seniors in High School. These services include opportunities for assistance with academic or job-related learning, developing leadership skills, preparing for further education and eventual employment.
Youth services are available to low-income Juniors and Seniors in High School who meet any one of these requirements:
- Requires help to complete an education program
- Requires help to secure and hold employment
The purpose of the program is for the students to complete high school and enter post-secondary education or employment.
Check with your local LKLP Outreach office for more details about what the Youth Program can do for you.
Enjoy 2007 by Living, Laughing & Learning Your Way to Success!
Envision Youth's trips, workshops, and activities will help you plan for your future. Don't be left in the shadows. With Envision Youth, you'll enjoy a year filled with Life, Laughter, and Knowledge.
ENVISION YOUTH PROGRAM (IN-SCHOOL YOUTH)
Brian Fields, Coordinator
The Envision Youth program has been a great success. We have served a total of 349 high school junior and seniors. We have had 12 participants to enter employment and 22 enter post secondary education, with the remaining 315 being active. Our list of activities continues to change as our program is developing. All participants receive much needed in depth case management to ensure their proper transition from high school into employment or post secondary education. Our case mangers work very closely with school officials so that attendance, grades, and character are assessed closely, measuring both hard and soft skills to ensure the success of each participant. Our goal is to assist as many youth as we possibly can. The Envision Youth program will always by creating stars and envisioning youth going the distance.
About Youth Achieve
Project Youth Achieve is an innovative program within the WIA-EKCEP service umbrella designed to work with criminal offenders 18 to 21 years of age. The main premise of the program is to improve an individual's education and career opportunities by means of intensive case management and mentoring services. The program will work within the four county service area: Leslie, Knott, Letcher, and Perry counties. The program will work with community partners to meet the needs of each individual whom participates in the program.
Project Youth Achieve will identify youth criminal offenders through referrals from the local court systems, community partners, LKLP staff, friends, family and other reliable sources.
Program Overview & Goals
Our goal is to target at least thirty (30) local youth offenders to successfully complete all phases and required elements within 6 to 9 months, having attained either job placement or post secondary education. In this effort to reach our goals, participants will have easy access to agency staff, community resources, and agency resources such as transportation, conference rooms, computer labs, JobSight and other community resources. Participants will also have access to counseling programs, mental health resources, treatment programs and work experience placement.
LKLP intends to provide comprehensive, work-related and educational-oriented services to all participants. Believing that "one size does not fit all", LKLP plans to offer holistic, individualize service plans to each participant through partnerships with private, public, for profit and not-for-profit organizations.
Program Completion Requirements
Home-Centered Visitation
Home-centered visitations will include qualified staff, at the Social Work Degreed Level or higher, to visit youth and families within the home, as a part of the initial phase of participation in the program. Staff will work with the youth and his or her family in the home environment to address any barriers that may exist upfront. This crucial relationship building between staff and youth will ensure the success of the participant's meeting the goals of the program. This portion of the program will last from 6 to 16 weeks, depending on the needs of the individual.
Peer Jam/Peer Rap Sessions
This will consist of peer to peer support in a peer support group setting. Youth will lead, share and inspire each other. Peer support group time will happen at least once every one to two weeks. This part of the program is crucial for social interaction and connectedness.
Rap sessions will also be helpful to those youth who struggle with coping strategies, anger management, substance or alcohol abuse, among a host of other emotional and social barriers common among this age group.
Peer jam may include trained staff hosting workshops and education about drugs, alcohol, substance abuse, crime and violence, relative to the needs of the youth participants. Former users and/or offenders will be available to lead and/or participate in jam sessions with youth.
Work Experience/Volunteer Intern
After having successfully participated in home-centered programming, youth who show themselves ready will be prepared for work experience opportunities. Each participant seeking employment, will be offered a meaningful, paid work experience opportunity during their program participation.
Participants will have the option to do a shorter volunteer internship in a career field of their choice in lieu of a paid work experience program. Each participant will be required to complete a 6-week or 3-week volunteer intern experience before program completion. Youth will be offered the option of volunteer intern experiences, if desired.
Participants will be expected to have successfully met the following criteria, according to placement or employer satisfaction:
- Timeliness and punctuality
- Appropriate dress/attire
- Overall attitude
- Work skill learned/mastered
- Dependability
- Willingness to assume responsibility
- Attention to consumer
- Willingness to learn new things
- Work ethic with others/team player
- Motivation/eagerness
- Character
Leadership Development/Community Volunteerism
Each participant will be expected to have garnered as many as 10 hours in community leadership or volunteer based programs in order to have successfully completed. Participants may volunteer at community action programs, nursing homes, churches, faith-based organizations, community events, fund raisers, adult day care centers, etc. Participants may also choose to visit local school board meetings, fiscal court meetings, local board meetings for non-profits, and other special interest community driven meetings.
Obtain G.E.D.
Each participant will be required to have received or completed a high school equivalency certificate, GED, or equivalent. Those youth who have not completed high school will be required to participate in GED classes.
Special Projects/Special Interest Activities
Participants will be required to participate in a minimum of three (3) special projects or special interest activities throughout the course of the program. These special projects may include visiting college campuses, attending program social events, attending job fairs, guest speaker presentations, motivational speakers, career exploration tours, resume and etiquette workshops, etc. Other activities may include week-long or month-long self-improvement camps, or leadership development camps.
Career Assessment/Interest Inventory
All participants will be required to take mandatory career assessments and interest inventory batteries before completion of the program.
Successful Program Completion
Successful program completion by the end of 6 to 9 months or sooner will include the following:
- Enter Employment
- Obtain a GED
- Enter Certified Job Training and/or Post Secondary Education
Special Interest Projects
Project Overhaulin'
A community benefactor will donate an older or used car, which will be restored or revitalized by a youth team interested in hands on projects or mechanics. The team will completely rebuild the car of their dreams, choosing paint, graphics, details, parts and accessories. The car may be sold or auctioned off. The profits will be distributed among the youth on the team for scholarships, educational trust funds, and/or savings accounts.
Incentives for this group may include NASCAR memorabilia, racing tickets, a trip to a car museum, or a field trip to local car customize and auto body dealers
Project Cafe Au Lait
Youth interested in operating their own coffee shop, bakery, and/or deli may be interested in this project. LKLP has a commercial kitchen that youth could use to run an entrepreneurial opportunity. They would be responsible for buying products, baking, creating, marketing, distributing and selling their products to the community.
Incentives for this group may include a trip to a large bakery, dinner in an upscale restaurant or a trip to a culinary school.
Project Facelift
Youth can work with LKLP Housing program carpenters, crew, and staff to rehab the home of a needy family or elderly person. Projects may include home decorating, landscaping, interior design, painting, roofing, wheelchair ramps, and minor to moderate construction. Students will learn important academic skills, including math, critical thinking, problem solving, carpentry, budget management, time management and decision making.
Other Activities may include
Archery Team
Start the program with safety training from qualified professionals. Let students practice archery in an outdoor 3-D archery range. Have range design from beginners to experienced level to allow participants to progress with their skills. Have experience staff on site to provide supervision.
Gardening
Provide location, materials, and training to assist participants with starting and maintaining a vegetable garden. Instructors could teach techniques involved with planting, raising and harvesting and preparing food for storage or produce sell.
Quilting
Instruct participants with basic quality skills. After initial instruction, participants will be provided with material and guidance to help complete a quilt project.
Landscaping
Youth participants will be given a chance to design and construct landscaping projects through the community. Guidance would be provided by local landscapers or staff.
Fishing
Youth interested could meet on specific times like club meetings to plan and prepare and schedule fishing trips. LKLP staff and volunteers, along with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Game could supervise, participate and organize such meetings.
Hiking
Hiking activities will including hiking trips to Kentucky's local hiking trails. Staff and volunteers could organize the hiking outings or events.
Photography
Youth would be instructed in the basics of photography and given opportunities to use their photo skills by doing various projects or entering contests.
PROJECT YOUTH ACHIEVE
Brian Fields, Coordinator
This program year has been busy for the Project Youth Achieve Program (PYA). During this program year PYA has served a total of 51 youth participants aged 18-21. During this time the program assisted participants with obtaining GEDS, job training, gainful employment and enrolling into post secondary education. The program continued to have Peer Rap sessions with the participants. During these sessions participants are helped in preparing resumes and job applications. Also, guest speakers are invited to speak with the participants on what jobs are available in this area and what qualifications are needed for a particular job. This year participants were offered the opportunity to participate in customizing two EZ-Go golf carts. They have been instructed on installing lift kits, seats, head lights and painting the golf carts. This project should be completed by late summer.
WIA Ten (10) Elements of the Youth Program
The Youth Program provides the following 10 services, as required under WIA:
- Tutoring, study skills training and instruction leading to secondary school completion, including dropout prevention strategies.
- Alternative secondary school offerings.
- Summer employment opportunities directly linked to academic and occupational learning.
- Paid and unpaid work experiences, including interships and job shadowing.
- Occupational skills training.
- Leadership development opportunities.
- Supportive services.
- Adult mentoring for twelve months.
- Follow-up services.
- Comprehensive guidance and counseling.