Services
Education
YouthCare encourages all youth involved in programs to pursue their education. Whether a young person is living in one of YouthCare’s housing programs, goes to the Orion Center, or is involved in employment training, education is emphasized.
YouthCare’s Orion Interagency School
The Seattle School District’s Interagency Academy has partnered with YouthCare for more than 25 years to provide an alternative school for homeless youth. YouthCare provides space for the school, and the Interagency Academy supplies the teachers. The Orion Interagency School is an alternative to mainstream public schools, turning no students away. Enrollment is a year long and expectations for graduation are the same as public schools, though the curriculum is more flexible. With an average of 20 students enrolled at the Orion Interagency School daily, each student’s day is tailored to his or her individual needs. As a result, students and teachers build strong, personal relationships, with teachers serving as counselor, educator and administrator. Youth attending the Orion Interagency School get their high school diploma, obtain their GED, or earn credits toward graduation.
Contact:
Phone: 206.622.5555
GED Program
The Orion Center offers a GED Preparation program for young adults who are ineligible to return to public school. These resources allow youth and young adults to pursue their educations in a sheltered environment alongside similar peers where they are not subject to the expectations of clothing, means, and family background that can make a burden of attending mainstream public schools. Upon graduation or completion of their GED, youth often go on to local community colleges and even four year universities.
College and Beyond
The Orion Center staff provides post-secondary counseling, and YouthCare’s partnerships with community colleges allow the participants of many programs to earn college credits during skill development. In 2008, over 50 YouthCare beneficiaries enrolled in post-secondary education with the help of YouthCare’s counselors.
