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Erie County Earn and Learn
The Summer Earn and Learn is a structured program with a wide variety of opportunities for our clients. The following article was written in 2005 by Jerry Infantino (Perseus House) and Robert Rocki (Erie Earn-It Program) as a comprehensive description of the program that is accurate today, albeit with an even higher return than the numbers noted:
For the past seven years, for six weeks each summer, the
Erie County Juvenile Probation Deparment and the Erie Earn-It
Program, Inc. have collaborated with the Erie County Office
of Children and Youth and Perseus House to provide invaluable
experiences for at-risk youths in the Erie community to "Earn
and Learn." Since 1996, over 250 youths have been afforded
opportunities to earn tranferable academic school credits
while learning necessary workplace skills and competencies.
Certified teachers awarded academic credits in numerous disciplines to students who successfully completed all work prescribed by their home school district. Academically deficient students have made up, on average, two Pennsylvania Department of Education approved credits each summer. These accomplishments have permitted many students to be placed in grade level back to their respective schools. Students also participated in Peer Council groups aimed at developing skills to decrease teen pregnancy and substance abuse while increasing anger management skill development. All students are awarded an hourly stipend for their successful participation. One student's reaction synthesizes the effectiveness of the school component by stating, "I learned how to ignore negative peers and also caught up on English work that I never used to do before. I now realize that school is the most important thing in your life."
Youths earned minimum wage working at varous staff-supervised
worksites throughout Erie County. Staff provided by the Perseus
House Collaborative Intensive Community Treatment Program,
in conjunction with school-based Probation Officers, managed
all worksites while serving as adult mentors to the youths.
The program has exposed youths to a multitude of work experiences
since its inception.
Community service worksites have been developed with the Erie School District, Erie City Parks Department, Boys Baseball, Erie Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, and numerous local boroughs and municipalities. Three unique sites developed over time are worth noting individually.
On property donated by the Erie County government, Pleasant
Ridge Manor East, the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center and
youths, in cooperation with volunteers from the local Erie
General Electric Company, designed and constructed a greenhouse
and accompanying garden from which nearly 14,000 pounds of
produce was donated to the local community food bank. As one
youth so aptly stated, "I never thought I was going to last,
working in the hot sun in that garden - until I saw all the
good food that came from it." Her accomplishments, along with
those of a multitude of other youths, earned the prestigious
"Breadboard of Honor" award, presented by the Second Harvest
Food Bank.
The Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies, located on the Lake Erie Bayfront, where 10 youths worked in a team-building capacity to collectively desgn and construct a kayak through a hands-on vocational experience. These students dedicated numerous hours of hard work to the construction of the "Lake Erie boat," a 19th century fishing craft indigenous to Lake Erie. They also applied basic math skills to the project while learning the fundamentals of sailing and navigation.
A group of youths also assisted in planting over 300 trees
and maintaining the 33-acre Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier
(LEAF) project. A highly visible community project that has
evolved into a regional asset, the park includes an ampitheater,
gazebo, kiosk, bridges and trails. Kathy Dahlkemper, co-director
of the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier stated, "We are very
grateful for all the help the Earn and Learn Program gave
LEAF this summer. The work done by the participants helped
to beautify the arboretum. We would love to work together
again next summer."
Regardless of the worksite assignment, the effectiveness of the work experience component is unquestionable. Youths' comments included, "I learned how to team up with staff and other workers to get a job done and respect them;" "I learned the responsibility of having a job;" "It taught me organization, commitment, and hard work." Experiences vary with each individual, but the theme of "learning a lot" and "I'm thankful I was chosen" remains constant among the youths.
Current funding is provided through the Workforce Investment
Act. The Earn and Learn Program satisfied numerous elements
required by the Department of Labor. As defined by the Act
itself, the program offers study skill training leading to
the completion of secondary school; summer employment opportunities
that are directly linked to academic and occupational learning;
leadership development opportunities; community service; and
peer-centered activities that encourage responsibility.
Accountability is another integral facet of the summer program. 75% of all monies earned are withheld from each youth's paycheck for restitution, if applicable. Court orders establish and verify the amount owed and Probation Officers ensure that payments from youths are made directly to victims. This inovative program illustrates the philosophy of the Balanced Approach to Restorative Justice. The cumulative total paid to victims since the inception of the program totals over $71,000.
According to one participant of the program, "The Earn and
Learn Program taught me that hard work does pay off and I
know many other teenagers that should have been in this program.
I was lucky to have this privilege."
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