Devington Community Development Corporation (DCDC), JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates), and Arlington High School have come together as partners in bringing forth the JAG Program in our locale, which will be headed up by DCDC and held next door at Arlington High School.
The JAG Model is the measuring stick that is used to implement and evaluate local programs.
The primary objectives of a JAG model are:
• Target the 'right' young people for services.
• Keep program participants in school through graduation or completion of a GED.
• Extend program services to participants for 12 months after graduation or completion of a GED.
• Assist graduates or completers in pursuit of a postsecondary education and/or an entry-level job that leads to a career.
• Deliver services to non-graduates and non-completers during the 12-month follow-up period to attain a GED certificate or a high school diploma.
The ULTIMATE Objective
• Classroom Instruction. A trained "
Career Specialist" provides individual and group instruction to 35-45 students carefully
selected for the program by an in-school advisory committee, typically comprised of faculty, administrators and
counselors.
• Employability Skills. The
JAG National Curriculum equips participants with
37 employability competencies that will prepare them for the
workplace. Multi-year participants may receive as many as
86 competencies identified by JAG.
• Adult Mentoring. Specialists provide individual
attention to students to overcome barriers that prevent them from taking advantage of their high school
education, completing requirements for a high school diploma and/or securing employment or pursuing
a postsecondary education leading to a career after high school or GED completion.
• Advisement and Support. Specialists provide
advice and support as students make significant career and life decisions in the earlier grades
(9th, 10th and 11th). Based on the individual needs of students, Specialists connect participants
to professional counseling services to address more serious barriers, such as mental health problems,
substance abuse, etc.
• Summer Employment Training. Job placement services
are provided dropout prevention students during the summer months and partnerships are developed with
summer youth employment programs to support year-long learning.
• Student-Led Leadership Development. A highly motivating
student-led organization the National Career Association builds on the competency-based curriculum and
provides opportunities for students to develop, practice and refine their leadership and teaming skills.
Participants are provided the opportunity to participate in regional and state Career Development
Conferences offering general sessions, career workshops and competitive events. The competitions
are aligned with the core competencies attained by all graduates/completers.
• Job and Postsecondary Education Placement Services.
Specialists are actively involved in intensive, one-on-one employer marketing and job development
activities to identify entry-level job opportunities for students after graduation or GED completion.
Likewise, Specialists assist graduates in the exploration of postsecondary education opportunities
and show them how to navigate the financial aid process to pursue these opportunities.
President Obama "On Jobs, Energy & Strengthening
the Economy"
The Facts re:
"46226 Zip Code"
Indianapolis, Indiana
Fact:
489 felons are released into the 46226 area annually.
Fact:
The Devington Community has also become the central business district for drugs, prostitution, and other criminal forms of commerce which come with the secondary crimes of carjacking, robbery, burglary, rape and domestic violence.
Fact:
The number of graduating students in the class of 2009 from Arlington High School, a school within our targeted area, was seventy-two. Five Hundred Twenty-One students entered the freshmen year together, 72 graduates (13.8%). *This leaves more than 400 adults with less than a high school diploma residing in the community, a growing trend.*
Fact:
Devington Ranks #1 in Indianapolis in elderly and handicapped residents.
Fact:
Major problems with storm water overflow-sewage backing up in home drains and showers. Affecting property value and sales.
