THE ODLE WAY

Quarterly Newsletter December 2017

WHERE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE DRIVES SUCCESS

Over the next several issues of The Odle Way, we will The last quarter was packed with success stories, new dive deeper into the four tenets of ODLE Management. partnerships, community support and an ODLE-wide These principles guide the everyday programs, initiatives effort to celebrate the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and out-of-the-box efforts we do to educate, train the and National Office of Job Corps’ (NOJC) Youth 2 underserved youth we serve, and help our colleagues Youth (Y2Y): Partners 4 Peace initiative. Not only did maximize performance outcomes. This month, we will many of our students travel to Washington, D.C. to serve focus on Opportunities for Growth. ODLE strongly as ambassadors, we also mobilized students, staff, believes that by providing both our staff and students community partners, law enforcement stakeholders, and opportunities for growth, we can build a high-performing businesses to bring awareness to such issues as: peace, workforce. anti-bullying, non-violence and learning to listen and accept others. Below is a sampling of the many local In November, the Tulsa Job Corps Center hosted a activities that were organized and held on-and-off our Job graduation ceremony. Staff, family, friends, local elected Corps campuses. officials and employer and community partners gathered to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of our ▪ The Little Rock Job Corps Center and its Y2Y young people. A Job Corps graduation is captivating efforts made news on local KARK (CBS) affiliate because they encapsulate pure joy, happiness and hope and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. for the future because of the many opportunities that lie ahead due to Job Corps’ transformational and wrap- around nurturing services.

Eriel Robinson, Y2Y ambassador, said: Nothing is that bad where it should end in loss of life, understanding each other’s position is key to mending fences and building bridges, that is what I want for our student body and the world. If we all try a little bit every day, we can heal the world.

▪ As part of ODLE’s Y2Y efforts, the New Orleans volunteered to Job Corps Center was featured on WWLTV participate. Top (CBS) news. organizations like Google are using this ▪ During Y2Y week, Long Beach Job Corps concept to seek Center held a basketball game between the recommendations and students and offices from the Long Beach Police ideas to create a Department West Division. The game brought bottom-up approach together both students and officers to empower to institute one another to prevent violence and aggression. enhancements and improvements. DOL ▪ The Pittsburgh Job Corps Center, along with all / NOJC has hosted of our other campuses, hosted a ‘peace walk as several regional part of Y2Y week. Local police officers joined conferences and our students and staff. Pittsburgh also held a Y2Y Long Beach and pledge that attracted over 60 students to stand-up Pittsburgh Job against violence. Corps Centers met and interacted with National In addition, ODLE shared profiles of our student Director of Job Corps, Lenita Jacobs-Simmons. ambassadors on our social media platforms and with congressional allies and supporters. In fact, many of those ODLE BCL of the Quarter members of Congress sent congratulatory letters to our student ambassadors recognizing their efforts serving as We want to recognize our BCL of the Quarter – Sandy role models and leaders on campuses. Annino of the Long Beach Job Corps Center in Southern California. Sandy has consistently exceeded expectations. She has developed and nurtured plausible relationships with congressional staff and members of Congress. At Long Beach’s joint Workforce and Community Relations Council meeting, Sandy was able to secure participation from all the major local and federal elected officials, including: U.S. Representatives Alan Lowenthal, Nanette Barragan, Lucille Roybal- Allard, Councilmember Roberto Uranga and Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell.

Sandy also works closely with Long Beach’s Work- Based Learning Coordinator to establish both internship and community service sites and opportunities for our Student-Centered Design young people. Sandy is incredibly responsive to everyone’s needs, the center and community – truly a Cultivating the mind of the 21st-century learner requires caring and spirited business and community liaison. a different school of thought than it ODLE BCL of the Year did in years past. When DOL Paul Williams, Pittsburgh Job Corps Center, is announced the ODLE’s BCL of the Year! Paul is our man about town! Student- He’s consistently and constantly creating new Centered Design connections and linkages, learning about Pittsburgh’s project, ODLE workforce challenges and employment, service-learning immediately and higher-education opportunities for Job Corps youth

in the Pittsburgh area. Paul is committed to building resolution. Be sure to check out ODLE’s Facebook page strong partnerships with employers, community for a video of the students during the vote! organizations and local and federal elected officials, including U.S. Representative Mike Doyle and Keith Carrasco Center Director, Jorge Pedroza and SGA Rothus and Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey. president, He’s also always ready, willing and able to help other Michael Kelly BCLs across ODLE and other staff with sample met with the invitation letters, agenda templates and other resources Mayor of El materials. Paul creates innovated service-learning Paso, Dee activities for Job Corps youth with local organizations. Margo to We are so lucky to have Paul as Pittsburgh and ODLE’s discuss and man about town! coordinate new Innovation Spotlight partnership opportunities, The Pittsburgh Job Corps Center launched a joint including community service projects and SGA hosting labor and transportation highway construction pilot. This an upcoming leadership training at City Hall. Mayor new pilot has been a year in the making with interest and Margo was extremely complimentary of Carrasco and its support from the Construction Association of Western impact on the local community. Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The demand for workers in the Shortly before Winter Break, Carrasco hosted a unique highway construction industry has exponentially and fun evening to teach students the art of knitting! The increased, and it is estimated that the transportation classroom was filled with sounds of frustration and infrastructure backlog is over $191 billion. DOL and the laughter and squeals of pure joy as they adorned their NOJC approved a newly-developed Advanced Highway newly-knitted scarves. Approximately 12 students went Heavy Construction TAR in September 2017 and in through a 3-step YouTube tutorial to learn the basics and November Pittsburgh held its first class. materials were donated by a Job Corps staff member’s family member. ODLE Center Highlights

David L. Carrasco, El Paso, Texas – In October, both El Paso County and The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce recognized Carrasco, including approving and adopting a resolution designating October 26, 2017 as ‘David L. Carrasco Job

Corps Center Graduation Day!’ Carrasco

Student Government Association (SGA) leaders represented the center during the El Paso County Commissioners Court vote officially adopting the

Little Rock, Little Rock, Ark. – Who’s saving who? Office of U.S. Representative Nanette Diaz Barragan Little Rock Job Corps Center students work regularly toured the Long Beach Job Corps Center. From left to with the Friends of the Animal Village to prepare right are Long Beach students Johanna Castaneda and animals for adoption. Little Rock’s partnership was Randy Martinez, with Morgan Roth, Deputy District featured on Facebook and was one of the highest- Director, Matthew Davis, Long Beach Center Director performing posts of the year! and students Tamon McGee and Serena Gil.

New Orleans, New Orleans, La. – Preston Favorite, Customer Service Manager of Entergy Louisiana, a Fortune 500 Company, told students during a center a awards ceremony that persistence is the key to success: “It took me 19 years to finish college. I was working two jobs, getting married, buying my first home and raising kids. Don’t give into fear. Don’t ever panic. Always prepare and never, never, never give up.” The New Orleans Job Corps Center also organized a field trip of a lifetime! Chef Joseph St. Paul of the American Federation Education Foundation showed New Orleans culinary students new skills. New Orleans is one of only seven Job Corps centers selected by ACFEF to recertify the Job Corps culinary program. Chef St. Paul savored some New Orleans favorite dishes Long Beach, Long Beach, Cali. – As the American during his visit. Red Cross staff and volunteers cared for individuals, families and businesses impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and wildfires in Northern and Southern California, the Long Beach Job Corps Center took action by donating blood at a local Red Cross drive! In addition, Long Beach secured participation from an executive at the Los Angeles Red Cross chapter to join a Community Relations Old Dominion, Monroe, Va. – The Old Dominion Job Council meeting. Corps Center welcomed 50+ students from the Hurricane Irma damaged Gainesville Job Corps Center. Student In early ambassadors outfitted in new bright red shirts were ready November 2017, sources of information and friendship! representatives from the San Old Dominion also celebrated Red Ribbon Week Pedro District sponsored by the National Family Partnership. Nearly

100 students signed the Drug Free Pledge. Students Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA – Each month, Pittsburgh received red ribbons and t-shirts with the 2017 theme: chooses on deserving student to receive the ‘Center Your Future is Key, So Stay Drug Free to raise Directors Award.’ The award is presented to a student awareness about the dangers of drug abuse. who exemplifies Job Corps tradition and The Odle Way. In October 2017, Pittsburgh recognized Shafi Hussein. The center also Shafi has had perfect attendance, over 30 positive participated in a Virginia tradition – apples! No, you can’t compare apples to apples but the students at Old Dominion certainly know how to volunteer at the annual Amherst County Apple Festival. Students got hands-on experience from the Amherst County conduct reports and has conducted over 20 hours of Sheriff’s Office community service. Shafi is enrolled in Pittsburgh’s directing traffic and electricians helper program and has plans to enroll in the organizing parking. college program upon completion. Shafi has earned his high school diploma and has a 4.5 numeracy gain since Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Fla. – U.S. arriving at Pittsburgh! Representative Charlie Crist took time from his busy schedule to visit the Pinellas County Job Corps Center. The students and Samuel Kolapo, Center Director, along with students and staff at Pittsburgh staff took Crist on a tour of the campus. At the end of were also treated to a the visit, Crist said, “You all (at Job Corps) do a great visit by the job.” Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, a professional wheelchair basketball team. The Steelwheelers spoke about overcoming obstacles and how disability is only a word, not a definition of how a person should lead their life. Hard work and dedication is more important than any obstacle. They also challenged the staff and students to a basketball game!

Over the summer recently renovated by the A Pocket Full of Hope non- National Director of Job profit after years of abandonment, but between 1948 and Corps, Lenita Jacobs- the mid-1960’s, it was a nationally known performance Simmons, challenged to venue for African-American artists who were not students across the welcome at mainstream white jazz clubs and country to further their performance venues. reading gains by participating in a reading Gainesville, Fla. – Even though Hurricane Irma heavily contest. The Summer damaged the Gainesville Job Corps Center, Y2Y student Reading Challenge ambassador, Catona Jenkins, was able to travel to asked students to keep Washington, D.C. While Caton was not able to meet individual reading logs of with U.S. Representative Charlie Crist or Senator Bill the total number of Nelson, both sent a congratulatory letter. reading hours each day. The hours were Crist said, “You have carved your path to success by calculated and the Pittsburgh Job Corps Center was one demonstrating a remarkable commitment to bettering of the winners with nearly 265 hours logged. Pittsburgh yourself and your community. Being chosen for this received $150 towards new books for its center library. opportunity reflects the hard work you put into your time at Job Corps, earning multiple trade certifications and Finally, shortly after recognition as an outstanding student.” Y2Y Week, U.S. Representative Nelson wrote, “Your involvement in violence prevention Mike Doyle took through the services that you provide to your community time to meet with Job Corps and multiple community initiatives truly Pittsburgh’s student helps to improve lives and strengthen your community. ambassador. He was impressed with Whitney M. Young, Louisville, Ky. – In November Job Corps’ holistic 2017, the Whitney Young Job Corps Center, along with approach to the VFW Post 1179, was featured in The Sentinel News education and in honor of Veterans Day. That same day, Whitney training, and more Young surpassed the national student satisfaction survey importantly, its by achieving almost a 90 percent score! commitment to creating a well- In addition, several students from Whitney Young rounded individual and employee. participated in the local community’s Breast Cancer Walk. Students walked over 3 miles to raise awareness Tulsa, for Tulsa, Okla. breast – Students cancer, and staff at the the Tulsa Job leading Corps Center cancer attended a among community- women. wide event with Senator James Lankford at the Big 10 Ballroom. The Historic Big 10 Ballroom was