Posted by dreynold on March 12, 2008 | RSS Feed
Tree Amigos Program Makes Positive Effect on Youth and Economy
When child care supervisor Mike Rollins partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and 4-H to set up the Tree Amigos Youth Development program at the Coosa Valley Youth Services Attention Home, a facility for at-risk youth in Anniston, he knew 4-H programs would have a positive effect on the youths, but he had no idea it would make such a positive influence on the region’s economy.
What started as a horticulture therapy program at CVYS in 1994 has now become a comprehensive career training program that teaches youths valuable life, social and job skills they can use as they transition from CVYS back to school or to the workforce. Through the years, David West, Extension coordinator for Calhoun County, received a series of grants that enabled the facility to expand into a four-acre project equipped with a greenhouse, a storage shed, tree nursery and part-time educator and several adult volunteers.
"In 2005, the Extension program at CVYS was restructured and expanded. A number of Extension agents and Master Gardener volunteers provide regular training in 12-week cycles," said West. Topics taught include various aspects of money management, food safety, nutrition, etiquette, public speaking, entomology, plant pathology, farm and job safety, care and maintenance of landscape plants, resume writing and interviewing.
The program serves about 200 youths each year.
Last year, West received a Rural Alabama Initiative grant to evaluate the effect of the program on youths and the community. The report shows that the program has made a significant economic effect on Calhoun County. It is estimated 102 Camp Lewis CVYS graduates annually receive jobs in the area. Those graduates generate a combined annual income of $1,010,465.04 their first year out of the program.
In the first 12 years, the aggregated economic impact of programs at the Attention home and boot camp is estimated to have exceeded $4 million in first-year income for graduates.
"The CVYS/4-H alumni contribute to the productivity of the region and make a significant economic impact through their jobs," Rollins said.
"The skills learned in the 4-H program aids the youths in their job interviews and makes them more productive on the job. Most of all, having a job and understanding the importance of keeping it, helps keep the youths out of trouble," West added.
The demographic data gathered showed that more than 70 percent of the alumni surveyed are back in school or are seeking a General Equivalency Degree (GED). Seventeen percent of those in school are participating in agricultural programs such
as 4-H and/or FFA.
Thirty-four percent of program graduates currently have jobs. Some are in service jobs such as restaurants, lawn care and retail sales, with an hourly wage between $5 and $9.99. Other alumni work in manufacturing making $10 to $15 per hour.
Extension and Coosa Valley Youth Services took a risk and made a commitment to work with each other more than a decade ago. Little did they know their partnership would provide such substantial economic impacts. The program fully utilizes the collaborative educational programming efforts from rural and urban units of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
