Want to know more about JAG?

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) is a nonprofit youth development program dedicated to helping at-risk students graduate from high school and make successful transitions to post-secondary education or meaningful employment. JAG has served more than 500,000 youth since 1980.

JAG’s mission is to keep students in school through graduation and provide work-based learning experiences that will lead to career advancement opportunities or to enrollment in post-secondary education. This is accomplished by establishing and supporting state organizations and local school districts committed to implementing the JAG Model for both in-school and out-of-school youth. JAG Model programs deliver a unique set of services to targeted youth in high school, including 12 months of post-graduation follow-up services.

Program Structure/Design: JAG has model program applications designed to meet the needs of youth in middle school, high school, and youth who have dropped out of school. Trained career specialists work with schools, businesses, and community organizations to develop classroom instruction, extracurricular activities, and work-based learning opportunities.

The JAG model includes these components:

• Classroom Instruction – A trained Career Specialist provides individual and group instruction to 35 – 45 students in a class delivered for credit during the school day.
• Employability Skills – The JAG National Curriculum equips participants with a minimum of 37 employability competencies and intensive career exploration and training opportunities.
• Adult Mentoring – Specialists provide 180 contact hours and the individual attention at-risk students need to overcome barriers that stand in the way of personal and academic success.
• Advisement and Support – Specialists provide guidance as students make significant career and life decisions and connect participants to other services in the community as needed.
• Summer Employment Training – Job placement is provided and partnerships are developed with summer youth employment programs to maximize year-long learning.
• Student-Led Leadership Development – Participants join a highly motivating student-led organization to develop, practice, and refine their leadership and teaming skills and serve their communities.
• Job and Postsecondary Education Placement Services – Career Specialists provide youth with assistance and access to employment postsecondary education opportunities to support students’ postsecondary goals and successful transition to those opportunities following graduation.
• 12-Month Follow-Up Services – JAG provides no less than 12 months of follow-up services and support to participants after graduation or completion of a GED.
• Accountability System – JAG utilizes a computerized system to track participants served, services delivered, and youth and program performance outcomes.
• Cost Effective Approach – The average cost per participant is $1,600, considerably less than other programs with the same goals; funding can come from school districts, state appropriations, and workforce centers.

In participating schools, career specialists work closely with administrators and teachers to ensure that program activities and goals are integrated into each student’s educational planning.

In a typical model for high school seniors, the program includes nine months of services during the in-school period and 12 months of follow-up services after graduation, with no fewer than 60 hours of direct contact in classrooms during the in-school phase. The Multi-Year Program includes 30-60 months of services and is an open-entry, open-exit program, in which students are allowed to enter or leave as their needs change; youth receive no less than 50 hours of contact each year.

All models are designed to raise student aspirations, teach teamwork and leadership, and instill workplace values while helping young people successfully transition through and beyond high school. The program also works to increase the capacity of communities to assist graduates with effective school-to-life transitions.

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