This week, the residents at the Johnson Youth Center have heard from people from all walks of life in town, including business owners, bankers, a boxing coach and even the governor.
The weeklong event, known as the Transitional Camp, is a “crash course” in preparing youth for adulthood and job searching, Johnson Youth Center Superintendent Jess Lujan said. Ten residents have gone through the course this week, culminating Friday with each resident giving a presentation about his interests, goals and what he’s learned through the week.
Vince Yadao, the detention unit supervisor, said it’s been enlightening to hear from the diverse speakers throughout the week.
“We had the governor in here talking about how Alaska has so many opportunities than so many other states have,” Yadao said. “He was talking about how he started in construction. It’s all about motivating these kids and getting them on the right path, giving them skills.”
More than a dozen community members have spoken to the youth, who are at the youth center for treatment or awaiting court proceedings. The camp is meant to be an interactive experience, with youth meeting the business owners and asking questions about possible careers. There is also instruction on how to build a portfolio, how to interview for jobs, online tools to use and more.
Juvenile Justice Officer 3 Jon Malacas said many of the presenters are highly interested in the camp. He said the representatives from Wells Fargo wanted to speak on back-to-back days to address a variety topics about financial responsibility and good practices.
Malacas some of the camp participants also get one University of Alaska elective credit for going through the week. They can also set up an ALEXsys profile, which is an online job search tool through the Department of Labor &Workforce Development.
John Cowper, a special education specialist for Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC, a local nonprofit that provides educational resources to the community), is helping to run the program. He said each day of the camp has a different theme: community, education, employment, independent living and healthy lifestyle. He said the camp is part of the Alaska Transition Outcome Project, and they run various similar camps for youth throughout the state. In terms of correctional facilities, Cowper said they have camps in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Bethel in addition to Juneau.
Funding for the camp comes from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Lujan said, which comes in the form of a federal grant. Prior to WIOA, they got grant money from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), he said. The camp has been going for seven or eight years at the Johnson Youth Center, Lujan estimated, and Malacas said they still hear from former residents who went through the program.
Yadao and Lujan said they ran into a former resident just recently while out on their lunch break, and were encouraged by the fact that the man seemed to be on the right track.
“Yes, we’re giving them skills,” Yadao said, “but really it’s about lifelong relationships and that we’re going to be a constant resource whether they’re here or not.”
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
