AMIkids Receives a Second $5 Million 3-Year U.S. Department of Labor Grant Award to Expand Vocational Education and Job Placement Efforts
Tampa, FL (PRWEB) June 26, 2015 -- AMIkids received $5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor in 2014 and has implemented vocational training and job placement in eight of its programs
AMIkids, a nationally-recognized, nonprofit organization helping troubled young people discover their potential, was awarded a $5 million 3-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Face Forward Initiative. This grant is the second awarded to AMIkids by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide vocational education and job placement to kids to support a brighter future.
AMIkids has been providing vocational education and job placement services in eight programs since January 2015. Over 250 kids have been enrolled since then and are receiving a wide variety of training for industry-recognized certifications.
“AMIkids provides youth with the support they need to turn their lives around and discover their full potential. The support we received from the Department of Labor last year and the additional funding from Face Forward 3 this year will provide AMIkids with the ability to add vocational education and job placement services for thousands of youth across the United States,” said Mark J. Criser, National Board Chairman of AMIkids, Inc. “Combining the Department of Labor's support with AMIkids' proven model provides our kids with the best opportunity to turn their lives around and become productive, successful members of their community.”
“A good job gives a person a sense of dignity and purpose, and creates a path to the middle class. Returning citizens deserve a second chance and an opportunity to find a good job,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez in a press release. “Expanding opportunity is not just the right thing to do; it’s an economic imperative. America is at its best when everyone shares its prosperity. The grants we are announcing today can help make that possible.”
The Face Forward Initiative provides funding for community service organizations to provide employment, training and support services to successfully reintegrate formerly incarcerated adults and youth successfully into their communities. The grant combines workforce and juvenile justice initiatives to help these young people attain skills needed to obtain good jobs. Fifteen grants, totaling $59 million, are being awarded for the third round of the Face Forward initiative, which combines the most promising workforce and juvenile justice opportunities available to improve participants' chances of success.
“AMIkids has been helping young people reach their potential for over 45 years. The opportunity to secure a good job and earn a living is what our kids need to break the cycle of failure,” stated O.B. Stander, CEO and President, AMIkids. “We thank the United States Department of Labor for providing much needed funding to support our mission in placing thousands of deserving young people on a path to success.”
About AMIkids
Founded in 1969, AMIkids is a nationally-recognized nonprofit organization that helps kids and strengthens communities through positive and motivating programs that inspire learning, leadership and personal growth. Through over 40 programs nationwide, AMIkids has helped over 125,000 kids and their families separate a troubled past from a bright future.
AMIkids has been nationally-recognized for their work and impact on youth. AMIkids received national education accreditation by AdvancED, the world’s largest education community. The AMIkids Personal Growth Model© has been nationally recognized by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as an “evidence-based” model for improving the academic achievement of at-risk students and for reducing delinquent behavior. In addition, the AMIkids Day Treatment Model has been designated as a “promising model” by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for reducing re-offending behaviors and is the only Day Treatment Model so recognized.
This year AMIkids was named the 2015 Overall Best Nonprofit of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
For more information, visit http://www.amikids.org.
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Jordan Meyer, AMIkids, http://www.amikids.org, +1 8135239600, [email protected]
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