By Phyllis Zorn, Staff Writer
Enid News and Eagle
ENID —
An alternative education program in Enid designed for young adults got a $900,000 boost from the U.S. Labor Department.
YouthBuild, operated by Community Development Support Association since 2009, now is funded for about three more years thanks to the grant, said CDSA Executive Director Cheri Ezzell.
YouthBuild works with people ages 16 to 24. Participants work on both academic and occupational skills. Students can earn GED certificates as well as learn a trade.
Ezzell said CDSA solicits applications every year at the beginning of a new nine-month cycle. In addition, court referrals, family members and word-of-mouth advertising bring in applicants for the program.
“They’ll have a lot more applications than we’ll have slots available,” Ezzell said.
Openings are limited. YouthBuild can take 28 youths in each cycle, Ezzell said.
Tracey Polson is the YouthBuild program director.
“The most incredible thing I’ve seen with this program is the change in the students,” Polson said. “I’ve seen them become adults — even though some of them technically are adults when they come into our program. I see them make better choices.”
Polson said 27 students got their GEDs and 23 were placed in jobs. The students showed 94 percent literacy and numeracy improvement.
And there’s one more important marker of success.
“None of our offenders have reoffended,” Polson said.
A house was donated to the program during the 2009-2010 program cycle, and rehabilitating it has given the students the opportunity to learn many aspects of the construction trade. The house is near completion and will be put on the market before long, Polson said.
