The Future is Bright for So Many Carver Center Youths

If you live in Port Chester or neighboring towns and villages such as Rye or Rye Brook, you will know The Carver Center and what they provide for youths, adults and seniors. In business for 83 years, it is no accident that The Carver Center is nothing short of a solid foundation for living the life you choose today and into tomorrow.

The Center's Career Enhancement and Workforce Development programs for today's youth are giving these young people the groundwork to make a better life, allowing them to make better choices while steering them into an exciting positive future. These career programs is not a one size fits all module blanketing every student, instead they are designed specifically to the needs of each individual where they work with Carver Center career enhancement staff helping them down their own exciting career journey.

"Our Workforce Development Academy for Youth Program has been key for these young adults to help them get situated in a job where they can learn responsibilities and how they can prosper," said Karina Lehan, Senior Director of Programs at the Port Chester Carver Center. "We give them the education and tools, and they make it their own. We're so proud of them."

Carver offers career enhancement through the Workforce Development Academy for Youth, also known as the WDAY program. Offered through a number of regional agencies including the Youth Bureau of Mount Vernon, this program is given to these young people ages 16 to 24 and education is at no cost. Also, job training skills is provided, as well as mentoring and it is done under the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). The WDAY program services are provided by designated youth program operators throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties. WDAY is designed to provide resources and services that will enable youth to complete high school and obtain a diploma/high school equivalency diploma, explore career opportunities, enroll in higher education and/or obtain employment.

19-year-old Blanca Naula from Port Chester is an excellent example of Carver Center's unique workforce development model. Currently Ms. Nuala is taking Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) classes at Southern Westchester BOCES in Rye Brook but she is also employed at Target in guest services where she is helping people throughout the day. Blanca has been with the Carver Center for three years.

"The Carver Center has opened doors for me during all of the years I was in school and now out of school, " said Ms. Nuala. "They helped me get into college, later a vocational training program and now to be a clinical medial assistant."

Mr. Jesus Coyt Navarro, 24, also from Port Chester benefited greatly from the WDAY program given at The Carver Center. Mr. Navarro said that The Carver Center has made a big impact on his life for many years. He had gone a number of the programs Carver offers throughout the years, such as the swimming classes and the after-school programs when he was much younger. Later while he was taking plumbing classes while at Southern Westchester BOCES and working at Balducci's Food Lovers Market in Rye Brook for six years, he knew he needed a new direction, so he learned about the WDAY program back at The Carver Center and wanted to see what they had to offer. While the Center helped him with his resume, profile and applications in order to land a plumbing job, The Carver Center helped him get a government position with the Town of Rye where he became a groundskeeper working out of beautiful Crawford Park since this past March.

"They (The Carver Center) offer services and programs that are helping people and you have nothing really to lose, " said Navarro. "All you really have to do is just be there, embrace it, apply yourself and also just do your part. Keep working hard at what you want because you'll get it eventually, if it's not today it will be tomorrow, you know you'll get it soon. That's how The Carver Center taught me is not to give up."

In addition to WDAY, The Carver Center offers elementary children the After School – Elementary School program through the Port Chester School District and they take place at each of the four elementary schools. This solid program offers daily meals, homework help, recreation, and enrichment activities. Additionally, youths and young adults can enjoy the Summer Youth Employment Program, where residents from 14 to 20 years old can take part. This is a combined paid work placements with mandatory work-readiness workshops. Also, the Center offers the Teen Center and Carver Scholarships program are also offered. These programs integrate academic support, gives one-on-one mentoring, as well as leadership training and specialized career exploration workshops.

"Our vision is creating opportunities for all to learn, work, and thrive," said Colleen Kane, Carver Center's Chief Advancement Officer. "That's why we work to be a central resource for the Port Chester community, from our partnership with the school district to provide a low-cost after-school program for elementary students, to our Teen Center, Carver Market, and our Workforce Development and Employment Programs like Summer Youth Employment. Each one plays a part in helping our neighbors thrive."