While in Washington, D.C., last week, Governor John P. deJongh Jr. joined the Board of Directors of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) and participated in a board members’ meeting for the program. DeJongh was unanimously elected to the board for a term that will continue until January 2011.
“JAG is a school-to-career program implemented in high schools, alternative schools, community colleges and middle schools across the country and in the United Kingdom. Its mission is to keep young people in school through graduation and provide work-based learning experiences that will lead to career advancement opportunities, or to enroll in a postsecondary institution that leads to a rewarding career,” deJongh said.
The governor also reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the JAG program in the Virgin Islands. Through the Education Department, the Jobs for America’s Graduates multi-year program application will be implemented at four public high school sites within the territory: Central High and Educational Complex on St. Croix, and Ivanna Eudora Kean and Charlotte Amalie High Schools on St. Thomas.
“The JAG-VI program is a credit-bearing course with a goal of 25 freshmen in 2009-2010, and up to 40-50 students in 2010-2011,” deJongh said. “I feel that this is yet another good program to make available to our students in the continuing pursuit of making sure we do all we can to keep our kids in school and give them the tools they need to succeed.”
The JAG program’s starting date will be on Feb. 1, 2010, territory-wide.