Philly district wins grant to train youths in juvenile facilities
The Philadelphia School District has received a $945,000 federal grant to introduce a career-education program to students in juvenile justice facilities.
The Philadelphia School District has received a $945,000 federal grant to introduce a career-education program to students in juvenile justice facilities.
The program will offer introductory training in several fields, including green technology, telecommunications, and network cabling for students placed at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Center and Pennypack House.
The goal is to keep students engaged so they will graduate from high school and learn skills that will help them find jobs.
The program will begin in the fall. District officials expect it will serve about 825 students over the next three years.
"This initiative will allow the School District to create innovative opportunities for students who face hard challenges," Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said in a statement Wednesday. "Our career and technical education programs have proven to reconnect and engage students, resulting in higher graduation rates. We plan to provide the same chance for success to students in court-ordered placements."
Students at the Juvenile Justice Center and Pennypack House already receive academic instruction. The new program will give them opportunities to pursue career training.
Christina Grant, an assistant superintendent who oversees the two schools that serve juveniles who are awaiting trial, said the program would be offered in collaboration with the district's Office of Career and Technical Education.
Sessions will last 21 days and combine online and hands-on instruction.
Students will receive guidance and career counseling, and workforce-readiness training. They also will be offered mentoring to help them make the transition after they are released from the justice center or Pennypack House.
Instead of returning to neighborhood high schools, participants will be able to continue their training and graduate from the district's career and technical programs.
"We were very excited to receive the [grant] notification, because this was very competitive," Grant said.
The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded only four such grants across the country.
The other winners were Portland Community College in Oregon, St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota, and the Shelby County Board of Education in Tennessee.
martha.woodall@phillynews.com 215-854-2789 @marwooda