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~~ <br />Given the base of hundreds of internship or Community Classroom Agreements" between the <br />Career Development/ROP Department and local employers, the District does not need to enter <br />into any other duplicate agreements. These when coupled with previous work-site agreements <br />between various District sites and the W/OlR!K Center for prior JTPA in-school and summer <br />youth employment programs will provide more than enough internship, job-shadowing, and/or <br />employment opportunities for the Success Bound. participants. <br />ELEMENT #5: Access to an effective program of occupational skills training. <br />The overall approach of the Santa Ana Unified School District's Regional Occupational Program <br />(ROP) is to maximize community resources, integrate services within the educational and <br />business communities and find new avenues to increase the level of employer involvement in the <br />creation of internships and work-based learning. Allied with this activity are the strong work- <br />based programs and the network linking of career pathways and work site experiences of the <br />Central County's Regional Occupational Program (CCROP), ]ocal WIA (Success Bound), the <br />Chamber of Commerce, the City of Santa Ana and local business and community-based <br />organizations. The cornerstone of all of this is the ROP as it is the District's vehicle for <br />providing appropriate, timely and effective entry-level training. Many ROP courses have work- <br />based internships as part of the entry career certification programs. These have been integrated <br />into the career pathways at the high schools. Allied with the ROP offerings are partnerships with <br />Santa Ana College and local universities that enable high school students (including Success <br />Bound! participants) to participate in articulated program of sequential courses from high school <br />through college. <br />Selected Success Bound! participants will be guided and counseled into Regional Occupational <br />Program courses related to their career pathways as these courses can play such a pivotal role in <br />their school-to-work plan. These classes will provide participants with the means to prepare for <br />entry-level employment, receive elective credit toward graduation, enter a career pathway, <br />sample various work site experiences, eazn money for educational expenses and/or verify career <br />choices. And from a very practical point of view, the ROP Certificates will verify that a program <br />pazticipant has indeed met his/her Skill Attainment Rate goal. <br />Operationally, ROP consists of a variety of occupational [raining programs that lead to entry- <br />]evel job skills for students age 16 and over. ROP classes, which are funded by the State, include <br />integrated classroom and work-based activities. ROP teachers are experts in their field with a <br />minimum of five years of work-based experience and a teaching credential. Of particular <br />importance to many of the Success Bound! participants is the fact that these courses aze offered <br />not only at the ROP's Ritchey Center, but also on high school campuses throughout the District. <br />Transportation is available at no cost for afternoon courses. Courses are also available in the <br />evening and on Saturdays. Participants in Success Bound! will be given np 'Drily registration for <br />ROP courses during their time in the program-including the twelve-month follow-up period. <br />ELEMENT #6: Provision of a support plan that affords participants with leadership <br />development activities as an integral part of their total program experience. <br />This element is primarily addressed during the weekly meetings at each high school campus. <br />This program is designed to be askills-building youth development program that prepares youth <br />to make wise decisions, set goals and gain a sense of self-worth. It is designed to be a very <br />integrated, interactive program that raises awareness about how one's decisions and values have <br />short and long-term consequences and how they influence one's health and well-being. "Smart <br />Choices" is based on youth development programs that have been documented to reduce teen <br />17 <br />