- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Youth Camps
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
New Santa Barbara County Programs Invest in Youths
A brainstorming meeting of Santa Barbara County administrators and local mayors has led to the creation of two $1 million youth work programs.
First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal, an initiator of that meeting last year, “couldn’t be happier” with the results: the Santa Barbara County Youth Corps and the Summer Internship and Public Service Initiative.
“As an elected official, I get goosebumps, because (this is) what we should be doing,” he said Wednesday.
The county supervisors and Workforce Investment Board announced a $1.1 million two-year contract creating Youth Corps, a program that will “foster in youth a positive work ethic, commitment to community and models of teamwork,” WIB executive director Ray McDonald said.
The program was funded by the Workforce Investment Act and will begin Oct. 1. It will be overseen by the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County.
Youth Corps is designed to be a communitywide, structured youth work program, Carbajal said. The program will target at-risk students, mostly ages 16 to 21, who are not planning to attend college.
Youth Corps members, expected to number about 125 to start, will work in many areas, including public works, volunteering, tutoring, and parks and recreation projects throughout the county, McDonald said.
Many members will start with volunteer positions and move to paid jobs, which “absolutely” have the potential to lead to full-time occupations, he said.
“We have so many projects already, the first year is probably taken care of,” McDonald said.
The summer internship program for high school students, which is contracted for this and next summer, pays $8 an hour and matches the students with careers they want to pursue. The $1.9 million funding came from federal stimulus money and will be carried out countywide, WIB public information specialist Victoria Sanchez said.
“I know the good these programs do firsthand,” Carbajal said.
He said it was his responsibility as an elected official to take the initiative to look for youth violence solutions.
“Gangs are the jobs (for many of the kids); that’s how they make their money,” he said. “If we take them out of gangs, we have to replace it with a job.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules.
- No abusive, defamatory or libelous attacks. In plain English: No personal attacks.
- No vulgar or discriminatory language.
- If you do not follow these rules, don't be surprised if your comment is removed.
- Please use the Report Abuse button on offensive comments.
- Share what you know, ask about what you don't. Give us your eyewitness accounts, observations, background and history. Tell us what else you want to know about the story.
- Stay on the topic, PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK, and forgive people their spelling errors.
Noozhawk's intent is not to limit the discussion of our stories but to elevate it. Thank you for your respectful participation. Click here for our complete Terms of Use.
Comments are moderated, and will not appear until they've been approved.
» on 07.15.09 @ 11:26 PM
Giana,
Thank you and Noozhawk for covering the press event for this great program and for the brief interview afterwards. I appreciate your work. I wanted to correct the quotes that were attributed to me. I did not say…“Gangs are the jobs (for many of the kids), that’s how they make their money,” he said. “If we take them out of gangs, we have to replace it with a job.”
I purposely did not use the word gang even once to ensure that we avoid stigmatizing the program participants in an innapropriate and negative manner.
At-risk or disadvantaged does not necessarily mean that the youth are gang affiliated.
Thank you for your consideration. I certainly can understand how challenging it can be to always capture everything accurately.
» on 07.16.09 @ 08:19 AM
I have a kid who could benefit from this program NOW! How can I find out more?
Thanks,
Laura Inks
886-1540
» on 07.17.09 @ 08:11 AM
Just another tax and spend stealth Welfare program. - Give our money to a Government subsidized non-profit and you don’t have to call it welfare anymore, and it isn’t our tax money being spent, you guys look like you’re doing something, and once again the target of active gang members is missed completely right, Supes? I can’t tell you how many times I have read that a suspect gang member was picked up at his “place of employment”. A job doesn’t change culture and behaviour.
» on 07.17.09 @ 08:13 AM
“At-risk or disadvantaged does not necessarily mean that the youth are gang affiliated.”
Exactly! So why are we not targeting the “gang affiliated” with our money?
» on 07.17.09 @ 08:16 AM
Why does it COST money to provide a job? Aren’t jobs supposed to be a productive positive contribution? If the expense of the job is not made up for by production from the output of the job itself, then it really isn’t a job - it is a government HANDOUT. Throwing our money at non-gang affiliated youth so politicians can take credit for DOING something. All they are doing is taking money from your back pocket and putting it in someone else’s to babysit THEIR unsupervised children.
More Local News »
Cell-Phone Scam Victim Declines $900 Donation Offer
Chinese student asks that money be given to American Red Cross as detectives press investigation
Adversity Takes Katie Rodman to a Whole New Level of Accomplishment
Undeterred by family setbacks, UCLA freshman battles through latest roadblocks to realize her dream
Preliminary Hearing Held for Owner of Raided Marijuana Dispensary
Questioning focuses on the business operations of Charles Restivo and his Pacific Coast Collective
City, County of Santa Barbara Likely to Feel Effects of Scandal-Related Legislation
New statewide bills aim to rein in salaries and pension benefits for public employees
Goleta Council to Weigh Whether to Shoulder Its Share of Jail Sales Tax
A city report issued ahead of Tuesday's meeting raises concerns about costs and levels of service
Weather: Fair 60.0º
Search Noozhawk »
