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Harris County Youth Village
210 J.W. Mills Drive, Seabrook
 The
Youth Village lakefront campus located in the Clear Lake area provides
educational, medical and therapeutic services as well as drug education
and drug therapy for older males who are 15 to 16 years of age. In 2005,
524 youth stayed at the Youth Village. The Youth Village’s behavioral
program targets personal responsibility, appropriate expression of anger,
positive decision-making and leadership, and ultimately, self-management
of behavior. Student-led community governments meet weekly. Parent and
guardian involvement is encouraged with visitation, input on treatment
plans, family and multi-family counseling and occasional home visits.
Community volunteers also support the Youth Village programs by providing
incentive awards and working with residents as mentors, librarians,
financial advisors and tutors.
In early 2005, the
Youth Village’s vocational program transitioned into an exciting new phase
providing residents with stronger ties to continued education as well as
employers in the community. The Vocational Education Program (VEP) has an
increased capacity of 120 students per year. Central to the new program is
its partnership with the San Jacinto College System’s Central Campus,
where residents attend and complete certificate-level vocational classes
which are recognized in the industry and can be used to further the
students’ study at either the college or the general trades level.
Professors from San Jacinto College instruct students in an 18-week
program in either electrical or automotive studies. Students in the
electrical program study basic residential and commercial wiring courses.
Students in the automotive program take Introduction to Automotive
Systems. In addition to their vocational studies, all students are
enrolled in GED classes, where they spend four hours each day preparing to
take not only the GED exam, but college-level entrance exams. All students
are given academic and employment counseling by both staff at the Youth
Village and San Jacinto College, who have assisted students with college
financial aid paperwork, scholarships, grants and job applications. As an
added bonus, San Jacinto College has waived the students’ tuition and fees
for one year after their release which allows many Youth Village students
to continue with their college studies as they transition back into the
community. Program outcomes from the first two student groups totaling 36
students are as follows: 100% of the students successfully completed their
vocational coursework in electrical or automotive systems, and 75%
obtained GEDs and either transitioned into a trade job or continued on
with college courses. |