SANTA ANA WORK CENTER STEM YOUTH PROGRAM (3)

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Leadership Development (SAWC): Staff will provide youth leadership development opportunities through peer centered activities encouraging responsibility in teams or individually to present and educate their peers on what they have learned about STEM careers and more specifically their chosen STEM occupation and work experience. The intended goal is for program participants to develop a presentation regarding what they have learned as well as providing them with an opportunity to practice their reading, writing and presentation skills. Post -Secondary Education Awareness (SAWC): The program will include workshops educating youth about their options for post -secondary education including traditional colleges and universities but also apprenticeships, trade schools, and certified vocational education programs. The program will include lessons on researching different college and educational programs. All forms of financial aid will be covered during the workshops and how to apply for each. Youth will be taken on field trips to visit local colleges and see the difference between junior college, state college, and universities. In addition, Staff is well versed in post -secondary education and the potential for all our youth to succeed at accomplishing and finishing a post -secondary program at some point in their immediate future. If the youths' priority because of their circumstances is to work full-time, staff is trained in helping see how post -secondary education is still attainable to help further their opportunities and future success while helping them find employment. Mentoring (SAWC): As part of the program, youth will have mentors that will provide guidance and support throughout the program and during 12 months after they have completed the program. They will each have access to the Youth Case Manager who will guide them through the program and provide them support. Youth will be able to meet with their case manager on a monthly basis at minimum or as often as needed during the program to go over any issues they may be having or discuss their progress in the program. Their Case Manager will oversee every aspect of their participation in the program and make sure they have someone to answer their questions and look to if they encounter any issues. Each youth will also receive mentoring from their WEX supervisor during their 12 weeks of work experience. These mentors will provide them with support during their WEX and serve as role models for their STEM careers. Supportive Services (SAWC): Participants will be provided with transportation bus passes or gas cards as needed. Transportation support services will be delivered up to 6 months to facilitate program participation. Additionally resources to assist in the placement in job sites will be provided, including but not limited to interviewing clothes. Also available to youth-, will be a licensed therapist who will provide them with counseling as needed for any challenges they are encountering. Employment Services (SAWC): The SAWC has a comprehensive employment services team available through its integrated service delivery system which includes various partner agencies such as Employment Development Department. During 2011, the employment services team was responsible for listing over 10,000 job openings. Additionally, targeted group recruitments and job fairs took place onsite. One particular recruitment in early 2011 resulted in over 30 people being hired on the spot. Youth program participants will benefit from one on one job search assistance. Staff will be assisted by the latest cutting edge technology for placement services. The WORK Center subscribes to software like Bullhorn. It is a robustjob matching system that links jobs to participants using their interest and skills. The system also allows staff to search for jobs beyond what exists in the database. "Spidering" technology reaches out across the internet to pull jobs to match a participant skill. Bullhorn can be tailored to assist in placing participants with local companies easily accessible by local transportation, a very important service for youth that don't yet have a car because of their economic challenges. Furthermore, the SAWC works very closely with the Enterprise Zone Program. The Enterprise Zone program is designed to promote business EXHIBIT A