Updates from Looking Glass
The Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center’s new Skilled Trades Program is ready to enroll students this fall! Newly hired Program Manager, Michael Romano, is building the curriculum while simultaneously prepping the recently rented shop space (2510 W 5th Ave #6 in Eugene). The Skilled Trades Training Program will move on from “under construction” to educating young adults in various basic skills of construction, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and much more.
Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center is offering summer GED instruction for youth ages 14 to 21 and paid outdoor work crew opportunities for ages 16 to 21. Also providing a Teen parent Work Experience Program.
Crew members remove invasive species, collect native seeds, plant native species, build small structures, remove fences, and assist in the renovation and maintenance of park sites.
Cognia, a national school accreditation organization, recently reviewed and awarded Looking Glass Riverfront School with another 5-year accreditation status along with some very positive feedback from their reviewers as well as Riverfront students and parents who were interviewed during the process. “The tremendous effort and commitment Riverfront teachers have made to our student’s education and personal growth is reflected in this outstanding evaluation” – Cheryl E. Zwillinger, Program Director
Looking Glass New Roads Program, which provides support and basis needs to homeless youth ages 16-21, has started offering a weekly Narcotics Anonymous meeting every Thursday from 1-2pm at New Roads School and hopes to create more awareness of this offering to any teen who has interest in attending. Anyone under the age of 21 can attend, no sign up needed. Angela Day, the on-site therapist at New Roads, runs the meetings, which started in February. Day said she is unaware of any such meetings being offered elsewhere in Lane County for youth but thinks the need is significant.
Looking Glass’ New Roads School Teacher, Dane Eckweiler, who started at the school for homeless youth clients of New Roads drop-in center in January of 2022, has always enjoyed helping people, particularly the challenge of helping youth who require a little more creativity in their academic approach. In early months on the job, Dane is enjoying the flexibility to help the students he works with to learn at their own pace and find subjects that interest them to help spark that passion for learning needed to keep going in the face of so many other life challenges.
In the Spring of 2021 and amidst the throws of the Covid-19 pandemic, Matt Sorensen, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Emerald Valley in Eugene, noticed an uptick in the behavioral issues of the youth in program there and realized his club needed help.
“We were seeing the stress and trauma these kids were going through manifesting itself in a way that we were clearly not equipped to deal with,” Sorensen explained. “Not just a few kids having bad days, but like real meltdowns, bad language and tantrum throwing. We recognized that we needed to find a partner with expertise in mental health and youth so we sought out a connection with Looking Glass.”
Starting back in August has had Looking Glass therapists, skill builders and a youth peer support specialist embedded at the Boys & Girls Club two to three days per week.
After a two year delay due to Covid-19, Riverfront School & Career Center is ready to launch their new Skilled Trades Program! The program is designed to educate students in all aspects of general construction, basic carpentry, electrical skills and other hands-on applications. The program was awarded two-years of startup funding by the Youth Development Division from the state of Oregon. The primary use for this funding will go toward the salary of the program manager, Austin Bean, recently hired at Looking Glass, youth wages for an eight week-long summer work experience and program operating expenses.
The new program needs a shop space and will also be holding a tool donation drive in January.
After 3 months of not making house calls and more than a year without access to a crisis bed for youth, the Crisis Response Team from Looking Glass is once again able to go out in-person and assist a youth in crisis and help get them transported to the Jasper Mountain Safe Center Crisis Bed for a 72-hour crisis stay. The Crisis Response Team consists of a multi-agency collaboration between Looking Glass, Jasper Mountain and the Child Center and has been in operation in Lane County for at least 15 years.
Since 1990, Looking Glass' Lane-Metro Youth Corps has coordinated work crews year-round, giving paid work experience each summer to Lane County youth and helping to make improvements to a variety of local natural resources and natural habitats. As this year’s crew experiences come to a close, the Army Corps of Engineers is thankful for the impact Looking Glass crew members have had on the indigenous plant life they’ve worked to restore near Fern Ridge and nearby wetland areas.
“Looking Glass has been a huge help to us!” said Adam Kotaich of the Army Corps Engineers. “Covid really short staffed us this year, so having their help has been tremendous.”
Looking Glass has provided housing assistance for youth since 1970 through various programs including providing rental assistance funds for security deposits, renters insurance and, in some cases, covering monthly rent for up to 2 years. We recently sat down with a current housing client, Jordan, and his case manager Jack and other Looking Glass staff to hear how these programs work and the impact they can have. (VIDEO)
Happening at Looking Glass:
Looking Glass Counseling Program received a grant from MHS 20 Funding through Lane County HHS and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) health equity grant funds that funded Black, Indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC) support groups, which allowed us to host 10 sessions of hourly long Zoom Telehealth meetings. Both facilitators identify as BIPOC, to help assist in cultivating an inclusive environment. This support group is open not only to Looking Glass clients, but to community members, as well.
Center Point School held their physically distanced graduation in the parking lot behind the school on Friday, June 18th. We held an individualized ceremony for each of our 4 graduates with their families in attendance. William’s graduation is highlighted here. Center Point School Director, Lynda Whitener made opening statements. “About 25% of students in the U.S. do not graduate from high school because of the commitment and hard work that it takes; you should feel so proud of yourself for accomplishing this, despite all of the challenges you have faced.”
