He described the experience as “dehumanizing.” Rogers recalls being in kindergarten and not knowing how to respond when a teacher asked students to draw a picture of their home. The family was forced to sleep in their car. Finally, they found a shelter, but it would accommodate only his mother and siblings. Rogers, who also is featured in the webinar, personally experienced homelessness.Īfter moving from Chicago from Minneapolis for what they hoped would be a better life, the Rogers family found their resources were soon exhausted by hotel bills and by landlords who demanded bogus rental application fees. Khalique Rogers, co-director of Minnesota’s Center for School Change, helped lead the legislative effort, and with good reason. Without YouthBuild, I do not know where I would be today.” Pwe told lawmakers, “Because of this program, I can speak English and support my wife and children. He loves his career and makes more than $44 per hour. Eight years later, he has been promoted to foreman. When he graduated in 2014, GAP helped him find a job installing floor covering. This year, he testified before the state legislature that the YouthBuild program at GAP not only taught him construction skills, but helped him improve his English and realize that he really did have opportunities. GAP alumnus Hser Pwe was born in Burma and grew up in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled murderous Burmese soldiers. GAP also recently won a national impact award from the U.S. ![]() The school’s construction career pathway has been affiliated for years with the national YouthBuild USA, as well as Minnesota’s own YouthBuild program. This is a great way into high-wage, high-demand jobs.” “Lots of our students are immigrants and refugees. “Our students have renovated four houses and built two new homes,” Nelson reports. Another is in the works, and the school has plans to do more. Helps to provide workers for construction and related fields, which are encountering significant shortages Produces homes that help to meet Minnesota’s need for affordable, permanent housing Nelson explained that GAP’s construction program:Įnables students to learn marketable construction skills, giving them a head start on a well-paying career The school’s director, Jody Nelson, participated in the webinar, which was co-created by PPI’s Taylor Maag and Tressa Pankovits. The successful passage of these laws provides funding to replicate programs like the one at GAP School, an alternative public school in St. 5 Reinventing America’s Schools webinar, co-sponsored by The 74, Progressive Policy Institute and Minnesota’s Center for School Change. Minnesota’s forward-thinking initiative was the subject of a Dec. The laws build on several examples of Minnesota public schools and programs that teach students construction skills as they build homes for low-income people and those experiencing homelessness. ![]() ![]() The new laws address three critical issues: the need to ensure that public high school students graduate with marketable skills, the shortage of certified construction workers and a pervasive lack of affordable housing. This year, with strong bipartisan support, Minnesota legislators passed a pair of bills that they call triple win legislation.
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