RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - At their board room at Richmond City Hall Friday morning, Richmond Public School administrators announced the district is receiving a half-million dollar grant from the Workforce Investment Act. The money will be used to fund Career Service Centers at Armstrong and Huguenot high schools.
The Career Service Centers help kids who are economically disadvantaged graduate from high school. They also give them resources to find employment after graduation, research careers in the U.S. military, and provides help in continuing their education to college.
April Hawkins, principal at Armstrong High School, said the center there will help a lot of good kids.
"Many of my students I can identify their needs on a face to face value assessment. And it's important to add and bring resources home to help support their family and take the burden off their family," said Hawkins.
Here's a news release from Richmond Public Schools:
Richmond City School Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Brandon announced that the district has received $.5M in funding through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to establish Career Service Centers (CSC) at Armstrong and Huguenot high schools.
The program targets economically disadvantaged youth who are high risk, potential school dropouts.
“Our mission is to educate all students to become highly successful, contributing citizens in a global society,” Dr. Brandon said during her announcement. “Work readiness is an essential component of the fulfillment of this mission.”
The Career Service Centers will provide a bridge program to assist approximately 100 juniors and seniors develop specific work skills to prepare them to enter employment, post secondary education, military service or career training that will lead to selfsufficiency.
The project will include tutoring, study skills training with English as a Second Language (ESL) tutors and instruction in the core content subject areas. Students also will receive financial aid counseling, take college tours and attend college application workshops.
Mentors will provide internships and will work with students to develop workforce readiness skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, teamwork, leadership, professionalism and a strong work ethic.
The project will take place during the regular school day and also as an extended day, after school program. During the summer, students will take part in a Micro Enterprise project that will focus on starting and running a business, provide field trips, job shadowing opportunities and paid internships.
The $487,000 contract is renewable for up to four years.
