Empower New Haven Salutes the Youth Development Practitioners

Contact: Deborah Stewart The Consultation Center 389 Whitney Avenue New Haven, CT 06511 203/789-7645 (ext. 132) Fax: 203/562-6355 For Details, Contact: Edwina Pizarro 203/789-7645 ext 127 for information Celebrate a new credential Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship for young adults entering the field of youth work!

Apprentice Cheryl Hardgrave and her Journey Worker Terry McCarthy from the YMCA Youth Center will be recognized.

On Wednesday October 26th from 8:15 to 9:30 at Claire’s Restaurant, (1000 Chapel Street, New Haven CT) a special celebration of the Youth Development Practitioner Apprentice program (YDPA) will be held for invited guests. Community members including city officials, local funders of youth programs, state officials promoting YDPA, and staff will join the Youth Development Training and Resource Center (YDTRC) and the City Wide Youth Coalition (CWYC) to recognize local Apprentice Cheryl Hardgrave and her Journey Worker/Mentor Terry McCarthy from the YMCA Youth Center. Cheryl is the first apprentice and New Haven Zone resident to be supported with funding from Empower New Haven, Inc. This new credential for community youth workers offered by YDTRC also receives funding support from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. For Cheryl, this professional development opportunity has already earned her a promotion at the YMCA, as well as college credits toward an Associate’s Degree at Gateway Community College.
YDTRC is piloting the Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship program at both the YMCA and at Youth Continuum, Inc.’s HOST program. New Haven is one of only eight cities in the nation piloting this newly federally approved B.E.S.T. apprenticeship program for training urban youth workers.

Jack Guerra from the CT State Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship in Wethersfield will be present to honor Cheryl and Terry for their participation in this unique career development opportunity aimed at strengthening the competencies of community youth workers. Jack will highlight the multiple benefits of apprenticeship for employers, individual Apprentices and their Journey Workers/Mentors, as well as the young people and their families who reap the greatest benefit – a caring, competent and credentialed youth worker.

Individuals interested in learning more about this new credential - the Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship for young adults entering the field of youth work can contact Deborah Stewart, Director of the Youth Development Training and Resource Center at The Consultation Center (203/789-7645) or Cynthia Rojas, Program Manager at the City Wide Youth Coalition (CWYC) at 203/786-5970.

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