Building Great Urban Neighborhoods. Together.

Civic San Diego Empowers At-Risk Youth via Urban Corps of San Diego County Partnership

October 18, 2017

SAN DIEGO, CA – With a mission to provide young adults with a high school education and meaningful job training, Urban Corps of San Diego County’s efforts have been amplified through a unique partnership with Civic San Diego (CivicSD).

Through $8 million in federal tax credits offered by CivicSD, Urban Corps was able to expand programming at their charter school for 200 disadvantaged students.

All this was made possible through CivicSD’s New Markets Tax Credit program, which deploys federal tax credits for projects that create quality jobs, or provide goods or services for economically challenged communities.

“Civic San Diego’s New Markets Tax Credit Program is a proven tool to help organizations like ours grow their services and help their communities rise up,” said Urban Corps Chief Executive Officer Robert Chávez. “We are grateful for Civic’s leadership and guidance, and ultimately for helping us support more at-risk youth in achieving their employment and educational goals.”

According to Urban Corps data, the new school has produced an 87 percent graduation rate, with 69 percent of graduating students finding employment and 22 percent enrolling in college.

“The numbers coming out of Urban Corps Charter School are impressive and we are proud to have played a role in helping these students achieve success,” said CivicSD President Reese A. Jarrett. “These students are part of our city’s next generation of leaders and are absolutely worth investing in.”

For example, recent Urban Corps graduate Adrian Cardenas Tamayo may be driving the next ambulance you see. A new program at the school allowed him to earn his certification as an emergency medical technician (EMT). Once a high-school dropout working as a line-cook, Cardenas Tomayo says he now has a new lease on life.

“This has been the best decision of my life,” he said. “I love knowing that I’m going to help someone each day. I really want to do good in the world.”

In that vein, fellow Urban Corps graduate Tania Sanchez is also driven by a desire to serve, though her sights are set on the local coastline.

“The beach is my favorite place to go, and I now plan to study marine biology,” said Sanchez, who spoke very little English when she joined Urban Corps just a couple years ago. Today she’s working her way through college. “I hope that someday in my career I am able to help take care of the ocean because it has given me so much. As I see it, the environment is heading in a rough direction and I, for one, am willing to make a difference.”

“Students like Adrian and Tania tell a collective story that the numbers simply cannot,” continued Jarrett. “They connect the dots between policy and the real world, and they underscore what CivicSD is really all about.”

For more information, pictures or interview opportunities, please contact Jenny Windle at (760) 707-4664.

Last modified: February 3, 2021

Comments are closed.