Educational and Vocational Training Programs
The Regional Training Center (RTC) is where we operate our educational and vocational training programs. In June 2008, we relocated all Regional Training Center operations from our site in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, to our Crisis Center at 460 West 41st Street in Manhattan. The relocation of the RTC back to our Crisis Center has allowed us to return to the core of our mission to better serve the youth with the greatest need – homeless youth who require an education and/or employment in order to achieve independence and self-sufficiency.
Five-day Job Readiness Workshops are conducted year-round at the RTC and focus on preparing homeless youth for employment. Topics include: resume writing, interview skills/soft skills, etiquette and professional attire (business clothing is provided on-site). In fiscal year 2010, the RTC began collaborating with volunteers from New York Cares to provide more one-on-one instruction during the Job Readiness Workshop. The New York Cares volunteers are young professionals from a variety of backgrounds, who donate their time conducting mock-interviews with Job Readiness Workshop participants, assisting with resumes, providing feedback on interviewing strengths and in areas that need improvement, and sitting on career panels. Our partnership with New York Cares has proved invaluable to our youth as it reflects the diversity and good will of the community.
We have added a Fundraising Training, Travel Agent Training and a Green Construction Training to the programs offered. The Green Construction Training is the result of a successful partnership between the RTC and Solar One, a non-profit organization specializing in environmental education, energy advocacy, and green career training. By providing training and certification in the emerging field of energy conservation evaluation and green construction, we hope to increase opportunities for employment and advancement for our youth.
Almost all of our kids fall below the federal poverty line and, although they often possess the desire, they lack the financial means to attend college. Any and all shelter youth who have been accepted to an accredited college or university are invited to apply for the Dreams R Us Foundation College Scholarship Program. All of the youth who complete the application, which includes an essay describing how education is essential to their personal and career goals, receive a scholarship. In fiscal year 2010, we awarded seventy-four scholarships to local accredited universities and colleges throughout the Tri-State Area.
Program Director: Simone Thompson
