About 5,500 young people have gone through the program, which has branches in cities and rural towns and on Indian reservations. There is one spot for every 10 youngsters interested in going through the program. Almost half are parents. Participants receive slightly above minimum wage for their construction work and a transportation stipend when they attend classes. They are required to perform community service, which counts toward college scholarships funded by AmeriCorps, the federal youth service organization.
Construction is something that anyone can do.
They get satisfaction out of going to a construction site and creating something and finishing a product and saying, 'I did that' and getting some kudos. Barno says the program is one of the few he knows of that not only helps the most deserving of youth, but also meets workforce needs, provides housing for families who otherwise would be locked out of the market and revitalizes neighborhoods that have long been abandoned to gangs. Not everyone makes it. Rogers tried the program once before and failed. But this time, he says he's ready.