A new program for at-risk youth will teach life-skills for high school credit.
The program is being administered by the Windsor Residence for Young Men in partnership with the Greater Essex County District School Board.
Program Director Jason Weinberg said the goal is to reach youth before they end up on the streets.
"By trying to reach them proactively so that we can teach these life skills to prevent homelessness rather than respond to it," said Weinberg.
The program received a grant $26,186 from the Green Shield Six 4 Six community grant program and the Windsor Essex Community Foundation.
The Youth Independence Program includes lessons on budgeting, cooking, and tenant rights.
"We're so excited at the opportunity to reach out to students who may be disengaged from a regular mainstream school," said Barb Milne with the GECDSB. "It offers them some hope and shows them what the path can look like, that there's an alternative path. There's a way to get to that high school diploma and move on to whatever else they want out of life."
Though the program is administered by the Residence for Young Men the program is for all youth ages 16-24, no matter the gender.
"The youth in this program are going to come from referrals in the community of any nature. So whether that's other professional services, family members who feel that it might be a good opportunity for their son or daughter or youth themselves who think 'I'm really interested in some life skills and the traditional school system isn't working for me at the moment,'" said Weinberg.
The program currently has eight students enrolled but has room for 20. Students can enrol at any time and do not need to wait for the beginning of a semester.