July 26, 2006
Project Reconnect—a special program initiated by St. John’s
University School of Education Associate Professor Deborah Saldana
in conjunction with the Queens South Park District—is achieving
success reconnecting high school drop-outs with society. At the
completion of one-and a-half years of operation, Project Reconnect,
funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment
Act, is helping disconnected youth get on with their lives,
says Professor Saldana. The program is directed by Assistant
Professor Jonas Bethea in the School of Education’s Counseling
Program.
“Unlike many GED [Graduate Equivalency Degree] programs, ours is an
academic program,” says Professor Saldana, “that’s been able to get
credit for those students who want to return to high school.
Project Reconnect has helped 119 students thus far: eight have
returned to high school; 28 are currently employed; two are in
unpaid internships; 16 have passed all five parts of the GED exam;
and four students are enrolled in college or post-secondary-school
training programs. More students will take the GED exam this
June.”
Funded by Government Grant
Funded in its first year by a $1-million government grant enabling
it to accept 100 students, Project Reconnect was cut back to
$550,000 in 2005, and could accept only 55 students, Director
Saldana explains.
Students in the program are 16- to 18 year-olds who’ve been out
of school for more than one year. They receive one year of classes,
academic support and counseling, and a second year of follow-up
with the staff; key to the program’s success is the staff’s ability
to motivate the students and help them choose their future career
path.
“We take the students on monthly tours of community and
specialty colleges,” explains Professor Saldana. “They’ve visited
St. John’s on several occasions, attending basketball games and
other events. As they spend more time on campus, they begin to
envision themselves as college students. Two of them [subsequently]
chose to attend St. John’s.”
“We also hold a Job Fair, which we’ve opened up to local high
schools and to the community,” she adds. “Potential employers such
as the Fire and Police Departments attend.”
Program Includes Counseling
In addition to an intensive educational program of Math, English,
Social Studies, History, Music and Technology, Project Reconnect
offers group, individual and family-intervention counseling. Topics
covered in the program—housed in the South Queens Park Association
building, in Roy Wilkins Park, southeast Jamaica—include the
dangers of drug and alcohol abuse; the detriments of smoking and
other high-risk behavior; and how to avoid gang activity. Referrals
are available to help the students deal with their social-service
needs, such as immigration issues, housing, child care and
entitlements.
“Research shows that Out-of-School Youth (OSY) don’t have the
‘hard’ or ‘soft’ skills necessary to get their first job,” says
Professor Saldana. “We expect the students in the program to
identify their career aspirations, and we help them learn the
‘soft’ skills they need to succeed:
- How to present themselves appropriately
- How to fill out a job application
- How to accept criticism without being confrontational
- Job practices etiquette
Lacked High School Guidance
“The students in our program are bright, articulate kids with a lot
on the ball, but they weren’t given the opportunity to meet with
academic advisors in high school,” speculates Professor Saldana.
“Guidance counselors in New York City public schools have large
case loads—as many as 400 to 600 students—and they’re required to
spend much of their time on paperwork. Rarely did our kids spend
adequate time with their guidance counselor; often, they were
pushed into whatever class was open that fit into their
schedule.”
As a result, Saldana says, a number of students “drop out, are
pushed out, or tune out” with disastrous consequences. Many of them
have talents, she says, but aren’t employed in the “legitimate
workforce.” Project Reconnect runs “entrepreneurial-skills” classes
that teach “business literacy” so that students learn about
withholding, social security and taxes, as well as resources, such
as credit and loans, available to legitimate businesses. “We help
students choose meaningful employment rather than rely on cottage
industries,” she explains.
First and foremost, the students are encouraged to return to
high school. Those who refuse are urged to prepare for the GED
exam. They’re also encouraged to pursue post-secondary education
such as college or vocational training. Those who get jobs are
expected to work a minimum of 20 hours per week. Enlisting in the
armed services is also an option the students may explore.
Meaningful Activity
Encouraged
“Project Reconnect helps drop-outs to become engaged in meaningful
and productive activity,” Professor Saldana reports. Exposure to
the arts, theater and cultural events, as well as a class airplane
trip to the rural south [Ft. Valley State University in Ft. Valley,
GA] as part of an African and World Studies course, have all helped
to inspire and motivate the students.
“We went to a farm owned and operated by African-American
families, and we also toured an Old Slave Mart that’s now a
museum,” she explains.
Although Project Reconnect employs certified teachers, the
program also relies on assistance from graduate students who
receive “full tuition and a monthly stipend” for participating.
Graduate students in Counseling, Education or Criminal Justice may
find the experience valuable and pertinent in light of their career
goals, Professor Saldana concludes.
St. John’s Vice President of Community Relations, Joe Sciame, who
sits on the South Queens Park Association Board, was instrumental
in obtaining the Association’s support and securing the program’s
location. School of Education Dean Jerrold Ross has also been an
avid supporter, allocating resources including office space.
Professor Saldana, who has her master’s and doctorate in
Education from the University of Houston, has been a professor at
St. John’s since 1994. A certified reading teacher, she teaches
curriculum and English language-arts methods courses. She also
directs Brooklyn Bridge, a non-academic support program for “300
over-age and under-credited youths,” housed at the W.E.B. DuBois
High School in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.
Also handling key roles in Project Reconnect are its Dean of
Students, Unseld Robinson, a recent School of Education doctoral
degree recipient; Academic Director Deirdre Breslin, former School
of Education Assistant Professor; and Assistant Director Tesha
Johnson, School of Education graduate student.