Jóvenes con Rumbo Newsletter | July 31, 2013

The program focused on providing young people with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workforce and become leaders in their communities. One of the key initiatives of the program was the certification of youth in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). On July 6th, 29 youth from the Camino Verde Youth Center received their Intel certification for completing the course "Technology and Community" as part of the Jóvenes con Rumbo Leadership Program. Additionally, two youth from Granjas Familiares were certified as facilitators for ICT courses, and will be responsible for training their fellow youth in Granjas Familiares on ICT. The program also provided technical training in construction to 30 youth from Camino Verde. The youth are learning construction trades while renovating areas of the YEC and local public spaces. They are specializing in painting, blacksmithing, gardening, and masonry, and are building a new door for the YEC, fixing the fence, and enhancing the green areas surrounding the center. The program also aimed to address the issue of school dropout rates in target communities. Jóvenes con Rumbo made alliances with public schools in Monterrey and Tijuana to work with school teachers and youth to address the critical problem of students dropping out of school during the transition from middle to high school. The program will start working with several middle schools in August, including Escuela Secundaria Técnica 96 "Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán" and Escuela Secundaria General 15. Private sector stakeholders joined civil society organizations and the municipal government in efforts to open a new YEC in La Alianza. On July 30th, Jóvenes con Rumbo and the Youth Institute of Monterrey gathered with representatives of the private sector to discuss economic, educational, and social opportunities for youth in Monterrey. The event aimed to invite private sector companies to participate in the efforts to build a new YEC in La Alianza. Representatives of companies such as CEMEX, ARCA Continental, and the FRISA Foundation joined the initiative for the new YEC La Alianza.