ABQJOURNAL VENUE: YouthBuild funnels $700,000 to Tohatchi

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

YouthBuild funnels $700,000 to Tohatchi

Journal Staff Report
      WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has announced the award of approximately $114 million to 183 community groups to provide education and training to young people across the United States, including nearly $700,000 for YouthBuild programs in the Navajo Nation and Gallup.
       This amount is an initial increment for two years of grant operations, according to a news realease. A remaining increment may be awarded pending the availability of additional funding, it said.
       The YouthBuild program assists out-of-school youth in obtaining their diplomas or GEDs while providing occupational training in the construction industry. While acquiring leadership skills and participating in community service, at-risk youth build and renovate affordable housing within their communities.
       In New Mexico, Tohatchi Area of Opportunity & Services Inc. in Tohatchi will receive $699,600.
       The awards include approximately $47 million allocated to the YouthBuild program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Labor Department also plans to initiate a rigorous randomized control trial evaluation of the YouthBuild program to learn more about its impact on the disadvantaged youth it serves.
       Participants in YouthBuild programs include individuals who have been in the juvenile justice system, youth aging out of foster care, high school dropouts and others. In addition to receiving academic and occupational skills training, these young people develop leadership skills and participate in community service opportunities. Many YouthBuild participants are learning “green” building techniques, assisting with retrofitting existing homes, and discovering how to help make their communities sustainable and environmentally friendly.
       For more information on YouthBuild grants and other Department of Labor youth employment programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov/Youth_services/eta_default.cfm.

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