New Jersey Youth Corps (NJYC)

Target: High School Dropouts Aged 16-25

Subject: Life Success Skills, Education & Training

Project: Classroom Instruction & Paid Work Experience

Statistics clearly indicate that without prevention intervention, high school dropouts are at risk for a myriad of personal, health, social, economic, legal, and vocational problems. Thus, this statewide initiative-established in New Jersey in 1986 and piloted in 11 counties-represents New Jersey's acceptance of the challenge to give a second chance to young people (16-25 years old) who have not completed high school.

The NJYC program offers comprehensive services to promote the employability and personal success of corpsmembers. Each corpsmember is assessed to determine academic functioning, personal strengths/talents, and health, economic, family, and social variables that may impact positive performance not only in the program but after completion of the program. Attitudinal and other actual and potential socio-personal barriers to success are addressed through individual, group, and family counseling, as well as health promotion services, with an emphasis on violence prevention training and substance abuse education. The program also offers:

*Diploma preparation
*Basic skills instruction
*Employment readiness training
*Job survival training
*Paid community service work
*Vocational training in arboriculture and Brownfields
*Higher-education guidance
*Career counseling and job placement assistance

Furthermore, NJYC entails recreational and cultural activities to increase exposure to and ongoing involvement with pro-social pursuits, and the program provides transportation to these activities as well as to the corpsmembers' off-site community service jobs.

An average of 100 corpsmembers participate in this program annually and provide 15,000+ hours of community service to nonprofit agencies each year.

Technical assistance is available to organizations who serve high school dropouts and those who wish to replicate the model.

Since its inception, the NJYC of Middlesex County has been co-sponsored by OPSR and the Adult Learning Center of the New Brunswick Board of Education. NJYC is a recipient of the National Diffusion Award from the U.S. Dept. of Education.

Office of Prevention Services & Research
Fax: (732) 235-9266 * E-mail: opsr@cmhc.umdnj.edu
1-800-762-2989/732-235-9260