A unprecedented commencement passed off Friday in Tallahassee. Members of the TEMPO program for disconnected youth obtained their GEDs and technical certificates.
TEMPO stands for Tallahassee Engaged in Significant Productiveness for Alternative. It helps join youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who usually are not at school or employed with schooling and job coaching.
Kimball Thomas, the Metropolis of Tallahassee’s director of Housing and Group Providers, says this system has served almost 2,000 youth because it started in 2017.
“Half of the youth had some prior offense with legislation enforcement previous to this system,” Thomas mentioned. “Not a kind of youth has re-offended or violated their probation. That’s zero p.c recidivism.”
Friday night, 67 youths obtained their GEDs and 42 obtained their technical certification. However they’re not the one ones graduating.
In 2020, the TEMPO program launched the Cease-Hole Initiative, which permits members of the family of members to realize their GEDs no matter age. Thomas launched Robin Washington for example of that program’s success. Final yr, she watched her son graduate.
“She noticed Isaac in Cohort four end up final yr,” Thomas mentioned. “Ms. Washington has accomplished all her GED necessities. She can be getting her diploma on Friday night time, and now her son will get to look at her obtain her credentials.”
The TEMPO program is funded by the Florida Division of Juvenile Justice and obtained half 1,000,000 {dollars} within the state finances for the upcoming fiscal yr. This system has positioned almost 300 disconnected youth in technical colleges or faculty.
“We’ll transfer them from generational poverty to generational wealth,” Thomas mentioned. “They are going to be making the type of funds with respect to what they wish to do in technical certifications that they will afford reasonably priced housing right here in Tallahassee.”
Almost 600 households attended the commencement Friday on the Outdated West Florida Enrichment Heart on Lake Bradford Street.
