Addressing the agency’s mission and its goal to assist in the development of adjudicated adolescents, Taylor said that his department is planning to create a Hall of Fame, which will include recognition of Project CRAFT graduates who have turned their lives around and achieved success in their career pursuits.
Judge Thomas Broome of the Rankin County Youth Court complimented HBI and MDHS for implementing the program, and he said it was a valuable resource in helping local youths access jobs following their release from the juvenile justice system.
Currently, nine students are participating in Jackson’s CRAFT program, while simultaneously enrolled in GED classes.
Project CRAFT provides students with pre-apprenticeship and vocational skills training and, most importantly, with hands-on work experience. Through the North Midtown Community Development Corporation (NMCDP), CRAFT students participate in a variety of community-based construction projects in which they can develop their skills.
HBI organized the advisory group to garner the support of the Jackson community, which is indispensable to the program’s continued success. Advisory group members offered many suggestions for the ongoing implementation of the program and its services, including working with community-based organizations to develop mentoring opportunities for the students. Members of the local home builders association offered to provide job sites for construction training and help out with educational field trips.
For more information on Project CRAFT/Jackson, e-mail Dennis Torbett at HBI, or call him at 800-795-7955 x8908.
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