JAG Indiana puts kids on right path

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Jobs for America's Graduates is a program for underprivileged high school juniors and seniors. Its goal is to give young people the guidance to take the next step.

"In order to prepare them to transition into post secondary, the workforce, or the military," said Edmond O'Neal, Northeast Indiana Regional Manager for JAG.

The program is funded by the Northeast Indiana Regional Workforce Board. It's offered at a number of Fort Wayne Community high schools and also at Paul Harding High School in East Allen County.

"I probably wouldn't know what college I wanted to go to, what career I wanted to be in, I would probably be lost and still undecided," said Rashida Parker, JAG student.

The program helps students identify their educational and career goals through teamwork and project based learning.

When asked what they would be doing without the program. Students at Harding have the same answer.

"Without college you won't get nowhere in life. If I wasn't in JAG I probably wouldn't know where I be at right now being that I was lost before I came here I didn't even think about college like that," said Jerome Jacobs, JAG student.

Fort Wayne City Councilman Glynn Hines is the JAG Teacher at Harding.

"A lot of times people say what young people can't do, I believe in the can do attitude of young people," said Glynn Hines, JAG teacher.

That attitude is a big reason why 100 percent of last year's JAG students at Harding, graduated.

"They're on target to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves, it's not Mr. Hines goals it's their goals," said Hines.

That same attitude is why the JAG program is a huge success across the country.

"I just like seeing the kids successes and knowing that these youth will lead our city one day," said O'Neal.

The JAG program is offered in 11 different Northeast Indiana counties.

Just to show you how successful this program is. Last year the graduation rate in our area was 72 percent, it was 89 percent for students in the JAG program.