Youth Connections

The MVCTC Youth Connections is an alternative educational program that serves thirty-two school districts in the Miami Valley area. Youth Connections targets students who are:

• Disconnected from school due to non-attendance or an inability to succeed in a regular school setting
• Lacking in credits for his or her age group
• deficient in the areas emphasized in the State of Ohio mandated graduation tests.
• Under expulsion for non-violent reasons such as truancy. Students under expulsion or alternative to expulsion for drugs, alcohol, fighting and weapons will not be considered.

Youth Connections is based on instruction in a small personal setting with a great deal of flexibility and a curriculum that will allow students to receive their high school diploma and gain skills necessary to lead to long-term employment. All students enrolled in Youth Connections are a part of the Career Based Intervention (CBI) program. Youth Connections is the largest site for a CBI program in the state of Ohio. While attending Youth Connections, students are able to participate in extra-curricular activities and graduate from their partner high school.

The Miami Valley Career Technology is a proud partner in this endeavor.

YOUTH CONNECTIONS HAS GRADUATED OVER 1070 STUDENTS AND EARNED OVER $1,300,000.00 IN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS!

Youth Connections Information

Youth Connections provides many students with their best chance at obtaining a high school diploma if they have not succeeded in their home school. Schools will receive weekly communication regarding their students' progress.

• Each of the Youth Connections classes is aligned to the Ohio Department of Education Content Standards.
• The curriculum offered at Youth Connections is competency-based, not seat-time-based.
• Each student is able to work at his or her own individual pace, not at the pace of the class.
• The majority of the coursework is completed on the computer.
• The instructors serve as individual tutors for the students. When a student has a question, the instructor will work individually with the student to solve the problem.
• Each student must have at least an 80% mastery of every single objective in each of his or her classes prior to receiving credit for the class. If a student does not meet the 80% criteria, they are able to continue working on that assignment until they achieve the 80%.
• Each student has a schedule that will meet his or her specific requirements for graduation.

Youth Connections targets students who are:

• disconnected from school due to non-attendance or an inability to succeed in a regular school setting.
• lacking in credits for his or her age group.
• deficient in the areas emphasized in the State of Ohio mandated graduation tests.
• under expulsion for non-violent reasons. Students under expulsion or alternative to expulsion for drugs, alcohol, fighting and weapons will not be considered.
• 10th Grade - 12th Grade

If a student wishes to apply to be enrolled at Youth Connections, they should see their school counselor or principal.

Youth Connections History

The Montgomery County Commissioners created the Montgomery County Out-of-School Youth Task Force in January 1998. The county commissioners asked the Task Force to develop recommendations on what action the community should take to reclaim and serve the at-risk youth of the Miami Valley.

Educators on the Task Force determined that an alternative kind of public education could serve the needs of those students who leave high school and those students who have not been able to succeed in the traditional educational system.

A team of Miami Valley Career Technology Center & Educational Service Center educators was formed to look at curriculum and funding for an alternative school and to conduct focus groups to determine the students' needs. Their goal is to return these young people to a suitable educational environment where they can gain the necessary skills for the workplace and for life.

The Task Force developed a small, personal setting with a great deal of flexibility to meet the needs of the students and to provide career opportunities that lead to long-term employment.

The Task Force recommendations were followed. With the financial backing of the Montgomery County Commissioners, and the experience of Miami Valley Career Technology Center, "Youth Connections" opened for its first students in the fall of 2000. The dream of many became a reality. Youth Connections added a program for 8th graders in the fall of 2007. The program is designed to give those students who are behind the opportunity to get back on track with their classmates and be prepared for a successful high school career.

Youth Connections FAQ

• Interested Students should see their counselor and/or principal.
• If a student is on an IEP or 504, please send the document along with the referral packet.
• A Youth Connections staff member will contact the counselor if they have any questions or concerns.
• If all appears to be in order, a Youth Connections staff member will contact the student and parent to schedule a time for an interview. A determination on whether or not the student will be accepted to Youth Connections will be made at the interview or shortly thereafter.