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  Athens County
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“Athens County Youth Enhancement” YAR project is developing community-capacity through collaborative efforts to empower youth and families to determine obtainable goals.

A three way collaboration has been established between Ohio State University Extension, Athens County, Hocking Valley Community Residential Center, and Athens Meigs Educational Service Center. The activities at each location are quite different but all share the common goal of helping young people develop social competence, citizenship, and life skills while also completing courses that yield academic readiness for careers. The networking between the organizations takes place through e-mail and shared web sites. Community-based sites are located at Athens Meigs Educational Service Center and Hocking Valley Community Residential Center (HVCRC).


Program Outcomes:

• Eighty-eight youth are using computers to develop computer skills and conduct Internet searches while improving career search skills, communication skills, and increase knowledge of available resources. The SOL computer provides the only Internet access available to the residents at Hocking Valley Community Residential Center (HVCRC).
  
  
• The Internet access allows 88 youth at HVCRC to participate in a plethora of job/career preparations including designing resumes, completing career awareness surveys, and learning keyboard skills. As a result 65% have completed resumes and identified a career path.
  
  
• Fifty-five of the youth at HVCRC use the computer to e-mail their parents. This has been a very valuable feature as it helps families to stay connected and provides a means for communication that would otherwise not take place.
  
  
• The SOL computer located at the Athens Meigs Educational Service Center is used to help students design a web site and to do research on environmental issues that have local importance.

Future Direction:

• The programs are not likely to change in scope in the next three years. Each collaborator hopes to be able to involve more youth and to secure more Internet connectivity.
  
  

For more information contact: Penne Smith, Extension Agent, Athens County, 740-593-8555

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Last Updated: February 2002