City gets $675,000 grant for youth

By Adam Koob (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, July 23, 2008

NATCHEZ — On Monday the City of Natchez received an unexpected surprise in the form grant approval for nearly $675,000.

The approval came form the U.S. Department of Labor and will be used to fund a program called YouthBuild.

The program is aimed putting high school dropouts to work in construction projects while helping them to earn a G.E.D.

The unexpected nature of the grant is due to the fact that the city had previously applied for the grant and was rejected.

Natchez’s Community Development Director Darlene Jones said the city first applied for the grant in June 2007.

Jones said she was told by Labor Department officials that the city was a good candidate for the grant but the program had simply run out of money and Natchez’s application was rejected.

But then, just a couple of months ago, Jones received word that the program had gotten additional funding and that Natchez was back in the running to get the grant.

“This is very exciting news,” Jones said on Tuesday after learning that the county had been approved for the grant. “I think it’s going to help a lot of people.”

While this would be the first time Natchez has fostered a YouthBuild program, exactly when the program will get started is still unknown.

On Tuesday afternoon a spokesperson with the Department of Labor said funding likely won’t get to the city for a few weeks because some grantees are still being notified of their approval.

And while this would be Natchez’s fist implementation of the project, project coordinators in other cities say it works well.

Tiffiny Brown is YouthBuild’s project coordinator in Jackson.

“So many students get lost or get off track with school,” she said of Mississippi’s dropouts. “This is a way for them to turn that around.”

The YouthBuild project works by taking dropouts from 16-24 and starting them on an alternating regiment of construction work and G.E.D. preparation classes.

Brown said most students in the program eventually realize a limited career path without a G.E.D. and are eager to do well in the program.

Program participants also receive a stipend for their construction work.

In the Jackson program two groups of students alternate between two weeks of construction work and two weeks of class work.

Jones said the program in Natchez is scheduled to work on a similar rotation and will include partnerships with Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Habitat for Humanity.

Brown said one of the most important aspects of the program starts before students ever start working.

Brown said students go through a screening process to help them determine a path once they complete the program.

The newest classes of students in Jackson are almost all making plans for college Brown said.

Jones said she became aware of the project when she was approached by former Mayor of Natchez Phillip West. West he initially became interested in the program specifically because of its focus on dropouts.

“This is a way for them to develop valuable skills and improve their lives,” West said.