"Hi, I'm Charlie," Mayor Charles Tomlinson said as he shook hands with Jeremiah Barrar, 16, Friday afternoon during the grand opening of the Community Services Consortium's Youth House.

The house, at 536 S.W. Second St., is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sharee Cooper, CSC operations manager, said its purpose is to provide a place and opportunities for young people, ages 15 to 21, who are considered at-risk and need help completing their educational goals or in developing work skills.

"We leased the building last spring and since then, we have worked with about 85 young people," Cooper said. Students work in individualized programs. At any given time, there may be 15 or 16 students in the building out of an enrollment of 50 to 60.

Students can be referred to the program because they come from low-income homes, have been involved with alcohol or other drugs, have learning disabilities or are teen parents, Cooper said.

Staff members work with the students to help them either catch up on their mainstream school classes, make up classes they have failed in public schools or work toward their GED or college degrees.

"We also have summer employment opportunities for young people," Cooper said. Recent projects included work on hiking trails at Bald Hill Park and the Fitton Green Natural Area.

All of the students work toward improving their basic skills, even those who are high school graduates, Cooper said.

"About 50 percent of our students are also attending public schools," Cooper said. "We are a licensed alternative school and we are the home site for two students from the Monroe School District. Some of our kids come here every day and others drop by during or after their regular school day."

In addition to classroom and work-skills training, the young people drop in to "just chat, eat some snacks or get guidance," Cooper said.

"We provide intensive case management," Cooper said. "That may mean us taking them to LBCC if they have classes there."

The program is funded through the Workforce Investment Act. In addition to covering operating costs, Cooper said, students can earn cash stipends for reaching certain goals. Pictures of smiling graduates in caps and gowns - some including young mothers and their children - line the building's walls.

Students come from Corvallis, Monroe and Philomath schools.

Chris Martinez, 17, said he had a hard time fitting in to the mainstream public school system.

"Classes are too slow in the public schools," the former California resident said. "Here, we can learn at our own pace and take tests when we are ready."

Martinez said he has applied for a job as a wildland firefighter and hopes to learn soon whether he passed the GED test.

Information

To learn more about the Community Services Consortium's Youth House, call Sharee Cooper at 758-2633.

Alex Paul can be contacted at alex.paul@lee.net or by calling 758-9526.