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Daily DigestSchool Closing
Conte Middle School in North Adams will be closed Thursday, December 4, as the investigation into a mercury spill continues.
The North Adams School Committee this evening at 7 will be held in the City Council chambers. |
Light'em Up!
 (2).jpg) North Adams kicks off the holiday season with its annual treelighting on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m.
Pittsfield lights its tree on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 at Park Square. |
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Program Tries to Catch At-Risk YouthBy Jen Thomas - September 23, 2007
 | | Mayor James M. Ruberto supports an initiative to help Berkshie County youth. |
PITTSFIELD - At-risk youth in the community have options; it's just a matter of finding them, according to Mayor James M. Ruberto and the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board.
At a Thursday morning press conference, Ruberto and BCREB's Youth Director Heather Shogry announced the creation of "Project Reconnect," a two-day event focused on providing youth with opportunities for future education and careers.
"There are many youths who remain under the radar screen and are becoming disconnected. Since 2003, over 800 youth have dropped out of high school in Pittsfield alone and well over half of those have failed to surface at our Adult Basic Education and Career Center facilities," said Shogry.
Set for Sept. 25 and 26, Project Reconnect - a component of larger strategic plan titled "Pathways-to-Success by 21" (P-21) - seeks to offer the youth of Berkshire County "a one-stop shop" for advancement in future education or training. In addition to information sessions on resume building and dressing for a job interview, Project Reconnect will host 45 area employers who will conduct interviews and hire youth directly from the fair.
With a concentration on three emerging Berkshire County industries - construction/building trades, health care, and hospitality and tourism - Project Reconnect aims to prepare youths for a productive future as part of the workforce.
"This project is one more example of how we see and how we know that work is being done in Berkshire County to correct a horrible social problem," said Ruberto.
Heather Shogry |
The two-day event is structured so as to benefit both youths who require more education and those who are looking to enter new jobs.
On Tuesday, several educational organizations will be available and Wednesday will feature employers who will discuss their work-force needs and answer questions. Additionally, community agencies will act as resources for troubled youth and will be available to answer specialized questions.
"I look at youth who are disconnected and just because of certain circumstances, it doesn't mean that they have to have so many barriers," said Shogry, "They're all very important to this community."
Developed in 2005, P-21’s mission is to "re-engage their most at-risk youth populations, both educationally and occupationally." BCREB convened representatives from local social service and educational networks and created the "Berkshire P-21 Team Network," who worked to organize Project Reconnect. Shogry said she hopes to make the workshops an annual staple in the Berkshires, perhaps even furthering their power by extending them to northern and southern Berkshire County locations.
All Berkshire youth are welcome to attend the event, held at the Pittsfield Boys and Girls Club Lighthouse from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. Spanish-speaking instructors will be available. For more information call (413) 499-2220, Ext. 131 or 133.
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