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Services & Programs

Encouraging youth leadership is a central goal of the WDC. The WDC funds and provides technical assistance to a wide range of youth programs, from county-wide initiatives serving hundreds of secondary school students and high school dropouts to more focused demonstration projects that test new strategies for serving youth with special needs. The WDC Youth Council, an independent body from the WDC Board, helps to provide strategic direction for our youth programs. Our Youth Council is composed of business people, educators from K-12 schools and colleges, and representatives from youth programs such as Job Corps, as well as several WDC board members who also serve as members of the Youth Council. The Youth Council’s purpose is to educate and advise the board on shaping a youth development system that can serve youth’s education and vocational needs, and ready the next generation of workers in Seattle-King County. Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Programs WIA youth programs operate year-round and serve low-income youth ages 14-21 who face significant barriers to educational achievement and employment. WIA programs for in-school youth provide such services as academic tutoring, paid summer work experience, leadership and community service projects, and school-year internships. Programs for out-of-school youth emphasize high school diploma or GED completion as well as occupational skills training and job search and retention. Project Start Out Project Start-Out builds pathways to post-secondary education and careers in health care for bilingual youth. The program combines a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training and certification curriculum with computer skills training, subsidized work-based learning, college preparation, tutoring, and career and life planning. Click here for a testimonial from a Project Start Out student.