ORANGE COUNTY CONSERVATION CORPS (8)

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3. Population (2 pages max) 87% of youth served at OCCC identify as Hispanic or Latin American (93 % identify as a minority). 85% of youth served qualify for free and reduced lunch, living at or below the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Federal Poverty Level. Nearly all youth identify as being at risk of becoming homeless and/or experienced homeless. This trend continues to rise, as in 2017-18, 15% of youth entering OCCC programs identified as homeless. Nearly all youth entering programs live with a disability or a significant barrier As part of this program, 23 youth will be enrolled by December 31, 2022. Our program is directed to serve youth ages 18-26. The youth served are primarily high school dropouts (out -of -school youth), who are or have been homeless and/or runaways, have been in foster care, parenting or pregnant youth, who could have mental or physical challenges, who are court involved, on probation, on informal probation, and who have incarcerated parents. Aside from the WIOA Youth eligibility requirements, youth do not need any additional requirements. Depending on a youth's barrier(s), OCCC may help our youth obtain high school diploma or a copy of their diploma, a letter from the foster care system, a birth certificate of their child or children, or a letter from one's health provider stating one's health condition. Otherwise, OCCC does not require any additional documents for enrollment aside from the WIOA Youth eligibility requirements. OCCC has successfully recruited youth into the Santa Ana WIOA program for the past 15 years. We recently completed 100% enrollment for the 2021-2022 program. OCCC uses a 15-point approach to recruit youth. OCCC uses several tools specifically targeted to "opportunity" youth, with a priority for out of school youth. The 15-point approach is as follows: 1. Collaboration with the Santa Ana WORK center, Anaheim Jobs and other Orange County one -stop centers. OCCC posts flyers at these locations, and works directly with Evelyn Lenz to send out the OCCC recruitment flyer throughout her network of organizations. 2. OCCC is active at job fairs throughout the year, include job fairs specifically targeted to youth through partnerships with Social Services, OCREP, Orangewood, and work centers. 3. Onsite recruitments with our Family Resource Centers. 4. Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram recruitment postings and engagement. 5. Craigslist and various other career website job postings. 6. Collaboration with the Orange County Department of Education, as part of the Career and College Preparatory Academy, in posting OCCC job recruitments throughout the 22 locations, on the Department of Education website, and at the OCCC high school campus. Department of Education teachers and staff also help OCCC in enrolling students in both educational and workforce training programs. 7. Outreach to previous high school dropouts and youth that stopped the enrollment process to re-engage in services and follow-up care. 8. Recruitment partnerships throughout our network of various non -profits organizations, and for -profit organizations, as we are always hiring youth.