ORS 660.458 Oregon Community Stewardship Corps; projects; tuition vouchers for program participants; sponsors; criteria; rules

The program director of the Oregon Youth Corps shall establish within the Oregon Youth Employment Program established under ORS 660.353 a separate program known as the Oregon Community Stewardship Corps. In addition to the established purposes of the Oregon Youth Corps, the purpose of the Oregon Community Stewardship Corps is to promote community service activities throughout the state for a broad cross section of Oregon disadvantaged and at-risk youth through programs that also include appropriate educational and job training opportunities for participants.

In addition to projects submitted under ORS 660.460 (1), projects of the Oregon Community Stewardship Corps may include, but shall not be limited to:

Child care services.

Elderly and disabled care services.

Literacy education programs.

Recycling and other waste reduction services.

The Oregon Community Stewardship Corps shall offer employment and educational opportunities of at least three but not more than 12 months’ duration for selected participants.

Under rules adopted by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, participants who successfully complete any program under this section shall be eligible for up to $1,500 in support vouchers that can be used to pay for tuition, books or other items or services that enhance and support education or employment.

All Oregonians who are at least 13 years of age and under 25 years of age are eligible to participate in the program. To ensure that Oregon Community Stewardship Corps participants represent a broad cross section of Oregonians, special emphasis shall be given to recruiting school dropouts and other disadvantaged and at-risk youth, according to criteria established by the Oregon Youth Works Advisory Board created under ORS 660.440.

To the extent practicable, the program director shall enlist state and federal agencies, local government, nonprofit organizations and private businesses, and any combination of such entities, to act as sponsors for programs administered under this section. Selection of sponsors shall be based on criteria that include the following:

The availability of other resources on a matching basis, including contributions from private sources, other federal, state and local agencies, and moneys available through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;

The provision of related educational and job training programs to participants, including but not limited to school and college coursework, training for approved high school equivalency tests such as the General Educational Development (GED), project-related education and professional training;

Assurances that proposed projects will not displace existing employees or duplicate existing private or government programs; and

Assurances that proposed projects are devoted to the enhancement of the community and are not based in maintenance activities and that these projects meet an identified need.

In consultation with the advisory board, the program director shall make grants for programs administered under this section.