Labor Secretary Visits ISUS in Dayton ; Elaine Chao Gives Check to Charter School That Teaches Dropouts Construction Skills.
By Scott Elliott Staff Writer
DAYTON — Daniel Daugherty dropped out of middle school and spent two years living with his father not knowing what to do next.
Then a friend told his father about the ISUS Trade and Tech Prep high school. Now Daugherty has a diploma, is working for the school and hopes to become an electrician.
On Friday, Daughterty, 19, found himself on stage in front of 100 people along side U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
“They treat you more like an adult and they challenge you,” he said. “It makes you want to learn more.”
Chao picked ISUS to visit Friday from among 96 groups nationwide who won federal YouthBuild grants, designed to provide job training and employment opportunities.
The school, Chao said, was a perfect fit for her vision for YouthBuild, which was just moved from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to her office. She handed the school’s founder, Ann Higdon, a check for $550,000 and promised a second installment for the same amount.
“This funding will allow ISUS to continue helping young people access training and skills they need to build a brighter future for themselves,” Chao said.
ISUS is a charter school started in 1999 to teach dropouts construction trade skills while helping them finish high school. ISUS, which stands for Improved Solutions for Urban Systems, enrolls about 175 students in Dayton.
Students learn in the classroom and at the job site. ISUS has built and renovated homes in two Dayton neighborhoods. Students also earn stipends of $12 to $30 a day if they come on time and ready to work.
But the program is costly at more than $14,000 per student. It receives about $6,000 in state aid and raises funds through grants and contributions to fill the gap.
YouthBuild has been a key partner, having given about $3 million in prior grants to the school.
Higdon said contributions like the YouthBuild grants and a $1.6 million gift from the Mathile Foundation have helped expand the program to build more houses.
“We have been able to really do something because of the investment of YouthBuild,” she said. “But this all started with young people working hard.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2485 or selliott@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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