ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN'S THERAPEUTIC ARTS CENTER 15 - 2010

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Proposal Narrative for YSPN Membership—WIA Grant 2010-2011 Please answer each question as concisely as possible I. About the Program A. Executive Summary 1. & 2. Which WIA population will the program recruit and how many will be served? The Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center (OCCTAC) Arts & Learning Academy program will recruit and serve 18 out-of-school youth (ages 17-21) with and without disabilities of limited resources from the City of Santa Ana. OCCTAC will provide participants educational skills and job training, paid work experience, mentoring, tutoring, counseling, leadership opportunities, and support services. 3. Describe how this program fits in with programs currently being offered by your agency. The OCCTAC is recognized as one of Santa Ana's leading community builders for children, families and youth. The center is also recognized for successfully integrating youth with and without disabilities in a nurturing and supportive environment that teaches respect, disability awareness, and cultural diversity with an emphasis in the arts and academics in the City of Santa Ana. Currently, OCCTAC offers a wide variety of educational and therapeutic programs for youth with special needs, including, learning disabilities, and health impairments, developmental and emotional disabilities. The WIA program is an extension of our current services provided to a population that we have been serving for over 9 years! Our programs include: After-school Arts—including music, dance, visual and graphic arts, After-school tutoring with college interns, technology training, support groups, career counseling and others. 4. Indicate which of the 10 WIA elements the program will offer. The OCCTAC Arts & Learning Academy program offers 9 of the 10 WIA elements, with the exception of alternative secondary school services to participants. OCCTAC Arts and Learning Academy program has a strong emphasis on mentoring, tutoring, leadership, support services, counseling and hands-on job training in the fields of education, arts and technology. 5. Indicate planned outcomes. The OCCTAC Arts and Learning Academy program will offer out-of-school at -risk youth, with and without disabilities the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills to successfully transition into the workforce, and further their education and training. The goals of the program are to build participants' self-esteem and confidence, academic improvement, leadership skills, workforce preparation and experience through structured educational and job training opportunities in the fields of arts, education and technology. 6. Describe the basic program approach (workshop/classroom/in the community). The OCCTAC Arts and Learning Academy program will take place primarily at our community-based center in Santa Ana. WIA participants will engage in a variety of educational and job training activities, including classroom and workshop instruction, as well as community placements to gain work experience, and further their education and training. Participants will be required to meet individually with key staff, participate in monthly workshops, and engage in weekly "hands-on" job training opportunities in our various programs at the center and other community sites (i.e. Santa Ana Police Athletics and Activities League and other community centers and local Santa Ana businesses). During the first two months of the program, all WIA participants will be required to meet individually with each team member (case manager, literacy and math instructor, arts/technology mentor, and career counselor) in order to collaboratively determine their needs (academic, career goals), and identify their job training interests, EXHIBIT A