Wayne Geri Academy

- Teach participants job skills in Voc-Tech and Technology fields. Everything from welding and metal shop skills, woodshop skills such as cabinetry-making, furniture making and construction techniques, to computer technical repair and software programming.
- Teach participants what they need to learn so they can complete their GED/CHSPE tests.
- Teach social skills and behavior patterns to participants that offer them opportunities to engage in new, more successful lifestyle and career choices. Personal empowerment training, as well as problem-solving skills and practical work ethics training.
- Build on existing links with local community colleges to make program enrollment and getting financial aid easier for foster youth who wish to enroll in Voc-Tech certification programs or further training.
- Build on existing relationships with local job placement programs to help students obtain jobs, and nearby tech industry companies to develop entry level job opportunities.

SacMakers Academy will be working with existing resources and partners for this program:
- SacMakers will add an additional track of their programs specifically for foster youth.
- SacMakers staff will provide technical instructors for Voc-Tech and Technology training, an academic instructor to prepare the students for their GED/CHSPE tests, and a teaching supervisor to work with participants to set goals and keep them on track.
- This program will be enhanced by student teachers from the nearby Sierra College "Sierra Makerspaces" program, who will supplement the regular teaching staff to increase teacher to student ratio to 1:5. They will also bring in the "21st Century Lifeskills" training program.
- Use support from Sacramento area anti-recidivism programs to give participants good role models and behavioral training.
- Work with partners in other service organizations to offer job placement.
- Work with partners in the Tech industry to develop entry level positions.

The team at SacMakers Academy is diverse, ranging from technical skills instructors with industry experience in skilled trades and technology, credentialed academic teachers who have previous experience working with foster youth, and a supervising teacher who previously worked at Title 1 schools, who's job is to help students choose a career pathway and help keep them on track with counseling and goal achievement during the program.

Links with Sierra College provide doorways to create bridge programs for foster youth wishing to enter certificate programs in these schools. Also, the students of the Makerspaces program will bring "21st Century Lifeskills" program courtesy of the Dean's office for social and behavioral skills training. Relationships with Golden Sierra and Whole Person Learning offer entry into job placement programs for participants after completing skills training. Relationships with Intel, HP and TSI Semiconductors offer doorways for entry level jobs for students.

SacMakers Academy has had five years of successful classes for youths aged 13-19; this program for foster youth is an expansion of their existing classes. The first series of Foster Youth classes will begin in Jan/Feb 2019. Space for the classes is secured at Hacker Lab. Sierra College is offering support from their Makerspace program, and the Dean's office offered 21st Century Lifeskills program. SacMakers also has offers from Golden Sierra (Auburn, CA) and Whole Person Learning (Auburn, Ca) to help with job placement for students, and a Sacramento area anti-recidivism program to participate in the program.

Next steps:
- Interview, then train and prepare Sierra Makerspaces student teachers.
- Work with partners to develop doorways to let foster youth who are eligible know about the program. This will include processing applications, interviewing applicants, and choosing the first cohort of (12-25) students.
- Develop additional funding so the program is fully supported for 2019.