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Youth Reconnect Center opens in Pittsfield09:01AM / Monday, October 06, 2008
The RECONNECT Center, located on the third floor of the Catholic Youth Center on 26 Melville St in Pittsfield, has opened as of the beginning of the recent school year. It will be open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 2 pm for drop-ins and for referrals. Staff advisors will be available to help youth and young adults ages 16 to 24 plan their next steps toward a career pathway, including strategies for further education, job search, training, and life skills.
An official opening ceremony will take place at 10 am on Friday October 24, 2008 at the RECONNECT Center at the CYC. Mayor James Ruberto, who has strongly supported the “reconnect” goals, will preside over the formal dedication.
The RECONNECT Center idea emanated from a 2-day event held at the Boys and Girls Club Lighthouse in September of 2007 in which over 100 youth dropped in to speak with an advisor and/or to meet employers and life skills coaches. The interagency planning team for that event, called the Pathway 21 Team Network, felt that an ongoing community effort could serve a community need in 3 ways: a) help youth and young adults, especially those at-risk of dropping out or who have dropped out; b) enhancing the community workforce by including more young people; and c) decreasing the ratio of young persons who are dependent or under-performing.
With its interagency contacts, the RECONNECT Center can help youth and young adults take the next steps towards a career pathway. Strategies will be individualized to each person. The blend of education/training, finding a job, personal problem solving, etc will depend on each person’s needs. A holistic approach can be taken and mentors, called Career Coaches, may be available to work 1:1 with certain youth (this feature is available countywide). The Center will also provide a space for youth to form support groups around specific life skills and career development themes.
The RECONNECT Center is in the early stages of development and welcomes relevant community input. Community volunteer organizations may also wish to get involved in the development. For example, the Center envisions a “coffee shop” where motivated youth can meet and encourage one another. Also, computer stations with educational and career preference software are needed, along with the technical assistance for set-up and maintenance.
Thomas Dillon has been named the Center Director. Tom is a lifelong educator who taught at Pittsfield High School for over 30 years, where he also served as a coordinator of work-based learning. The Center phone number is (413) 997-4556.
The RECONNECT Center is a component of the Berkshire Community Action Council and is receiving its funding from a combination of state (Commonwealth Corporation start-up), local (City of Pittsfield, Berkshire United Way), and private (Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Berkshire Bank Foundation) sources.
For further information, or to schedule a visit to the RECONNECT Center, please call the Center at (413) 997-4556 between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm, or please call Heather Shogry, Youth Director, at the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board (413) 442-7177. |
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If you need help go to this program.They are willing to work with you and they care about whats going on in your life.They will go to the end to get you were you want to be in life.I did this program and they were the nicest people and they really cared about what i needed and were i wanted to goo in life.They got me back in school and they got me a job.If u need or want help this is the number 1 place to go.
Thank you guys for all your help.
Tyffanie H. | | from: Tyffanie | on: 04-22-2009 12:00AM
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