Morning Program Structured to Teach Work Habits, Skills

During the first 6 weeks of summer, youths are divided into teams and work mornings until noon at various jobs: landscaping, trail building, gardening, groundskeeping, carpentry or masonry.  A point system determines their weekly pay.  They must be at work promptly at 8:00 a.m. each morning.  They are judged along with their teammates in five categories: goal setting, team spirit, problem solving, individual effort, and accomplishment. 

Team leaders teach the children skills and encourage them to compete for best work done.  They also demonstrate problem solving and help individuals realize the power of team spirit. Youths become involved in their projects, seeking both the monetary reward and experiencing the pride of contributing to making Ranch grounds beautiful, or putting vegetables on the table, or repairing furniture, etc.  They learn values like punctuality, endurance and reliability.

 A percentage of our graduates attend college, but many are headed directly to the job market. It is thus important that we provide a comprehensive vocational training program to allow each resident to develop employable skillss.

Summer is the prime time for vocational opportunities, and maintenance, landscaping and construction personnel are assigned a team of young apprentices to help with the tasks of daily Ranch life.  Students are shown (top right) harvesting vegetables for the Ranch community from the garden they planted in the spring, learning the art of tree trimming (center), and working in the greenhouse (lower right) to develop household plants for the cabins. 

HCYR has in place work programs in various departments, and some youths work during the school year.   Over time, youths can apprentice in several work areas.  "Main Street" is lined with vocational workshops, from the ag barn and mechanics shops at the north end of the valley, to the woodshop and greenhouse in the central area, to the high-tech recording studios and multi-media labs at the south end of Main Street.