Senate Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1378 The Amer-I-Can Program, Inc.
Requester:	Jim Brown		Organization:		The Amer-I-Can Program, Inc.
Project Title:	The Amer-I-Can Program, Inc.		Date Submitted:		01/27/2000 10:10:07 PM
District Member:	Walter Campbell		Service Area:		Statewide
Counties Affected:	{Statewide}
Recipient:	The Amer-I-Can Program, Inc.		Contact:		Warren Chavers
	1851 Sunset Plaza Drive		Contact Phone:		(330) 494-6437
	Los Angeles 90060
Project Description:
The Amer-I-Can Program, Inc., is a self improvement and life skills training program primarily designed for gang and at-risk youth and aims to improve lives through learning and applying principles to help make positive choices for a successful transition toward a meaningful, enriched and positive lifestyle. A certified facilitator teaches the Program. The program is designed to make a favorable impact upon trainee behavior resulting in improved academic performance (increased grade point average), reduction in negative behavior (disciplinary incidents) and increase in school attendance. The training will help to imprve the trainee's attitude and motivate them to stay in school. The training helps to restore self worth, self-esteem and encourages the trainee to set realistic goals and to work hard at achieving them. The program is imlemented by certified facilitators for the purpose of giving individuals the tools to better manage their lives and change their attitudes from "I Can't" to "I Can." The program works with a curriculum of a 15 chapter course, with weekly testing, as well as evaluations by program administrators and facilitators and involved parents. The program also requires periodic self-evaluation by participants. These dynamics create a structured program of self help and development of peer group relationships with a trained facilitator who monitors individual and group achievements. Finally, the program attempts to establish positive family relationships with each participant's family to provide proper support upon completion of the program.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
The Amer-I-Can Program, Inc., benefits the state with an experienced and proven diversion and rehabilitative program which works with juvenile justice personnel, local schools, and law enforcement entities to identify youths that need the Program's services. This program proposes to reach 300 at-risk youths, including those who have been involved in gangs.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Progress will be measured for each individual program participant. Individual outcome is measured with longitudinal study of Personal Growth Inventories and critical skill evaluations. Likewise, attendance, grade point average and the number of disciplinary incidents during the time frame of the course are used as evaluation measures. Program administrators also look for progress in attitudes and behaviors, academically, socially, domestically, and criminally, and a determination of whether there is increased respect for other persons and property. As an overall program, Amer-I-Can seeks to increase school attendance, reduce incidents of negative behavior and increase grade point average.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$300,000
Total cost of the project:		$375,000

Request has been made to fund:			Operations
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?					Yes
	Cash Amount:	$75,000
Was this project previously funded by the State?					No
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?					Yes
	Amount:	$300,000
	Purpose for future year funding:			Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?				Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?					No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?					No
Is there a documented need for this project?					Yes
	Documentation:	The program meets needs regularly identified by the school system and the Dept. of Juvenile Justice.
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?					No