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Orange County Youth Commission <br />Santa Ana, California <br />Target Group: <br />We serve the neediest youth from the community. Their families are low-income <br />and all are in need of academic support and positive experiences. We have two <br />different target populations that we serve. The First, are defined as junior and <br />high school students, who are "In-School Youth" between the ages of 16 and <br />20 who are or were considered "at-risk" of academic failure, gang involvement, <br />criminal/deviant behavior and/or substance abuse. The majority of these youth <br />come to us deficient in basic academic skills (e.g., reading, writing, math, <br />grammar). All require individual counseling and/or mentoring services to <br />accomplish educational goals. Many have past gang involvement. Others have <br />been suspended or expelled from school at one time or another and some are <br />involved in alternative school settings like the Community Day School, which <br />refers students. A number of youth are members of families on welfare. Several <br />are youth in the foster-care system and others are on parole. The majority is at- <br />risk for school failure and dropping-out. We will serve 12 youths that are <br />considered "In-School Youths" The second population of youths that we serve <br />may still be in school but the age group is older and is more interested in getting <br />a job. We call this group that we serve our "Young Adults". This group will also <br />need tutoring and help with the basic reading and writing skills. We will focus on <br />helping the Young Adults to understand their options in the world that we live in <br />today, whether that would mean for them to return to school or get into a <br />technical school or find a job. We will serve 13 Young Adults. Ages 18 to 23. <br />One young man, age 19 was telling his story to some of the other kids in at the <br />boxing club. He told them that he had been coming to the Santa Ana Boxing Club <br />for five years and he was now going to Cal State Fullerton. He has dreams of <br />going to UCI and then on to Cal State Davis to become a Doctor. He pointed to <br />Anthony Serrano and said "listen to that guy, he's the one who told me to stay in <br />school". Inspiring stories, like this, can be heard at the Santa Ana Boxing daily. <br />One day there was a ruckus outside the Boxing Club. Coach Anthony looked <br />outside to find one of the regular kids who yelled out "Get back in the gym, <br />Anthony!" As Anthony went back into the gym another boy wanted to go out. <br />Anthony instructed him to stay inside. The young boy protested and told Anthony <br />that he wanted to do something good but Anthony would not let him go outside. <br />Soon after that, the boy who was outside came into the gym bleeding and <br />bruised. He said "Anthony I got out of the gang, but I had to get beat up." <br />Anthony put his arm around the boy and told him "I am so proud of you, what you <br />did was right even though it cost you something." The boy that stayed inside then <br />told Anthony "I wanted to get out of the gang too! I guess t will have to get beat <br />up tomorrow." Many of these children are getting out of gangs and learning to live <br />lives of integrity and honor. <br />2 <br />