Project Grant 20VSANY004

THE CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (CEO) HAS OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING AND PROVIDES IMMEDIATE, EFFECTIVE, AND COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS. OUR EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED IN NEW YORK CITY AS A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF THE VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE IN THE 1970S. CEO WAS INCORPORATED AS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SERVING NYC IN 1996 AND IN 2009 BEGAN AN EXPANSION EFFORT TO NEW HIGH-NEED JURISDICTIONS. TODAY, CEO IS THE NATION?S LEADING REENTRY EMPLOYMENT PROVIDER, SERVING ROUGHLY 8,000 PEOPLE PER YEAR ACROSS 28 PROGRAM SITES IN TEN STATES. OUR HIGHLY STRUCTURED AND TIGHTLY SUPERVISED PROGRAM IS PROVEN TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM AND IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE RETURNING HOME FROM INCARCERATION. CEO WORKS TO HELP PARTICIPANTS OBTAIN THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE NEEDED FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS TO STABLE, PRODUCTIVE LIVES. CEO'S VISION IS THAT ANYONE WITH A CRIMINAL HISTORY WHO WANTS TO WORK HAS THE PREPARATION AND SUPPORT NEEDED TO FIND A JOB AND TO STAY CONNECTED TO THE LABOR FORCE. CEO?S VISTA PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOCUS AREA. THE VISTA PROJECT SEEKS TO DEVELOP NEW FINANCIAL AND IN-KIND RESOURCES, RECRUIT AND COORDINATE THE WORK OF VOLUNTEERS, CULTIVATE EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS, AND ENGAGE IN OUTREACH / COMMUNICATION EFFORTS TO GROW CEO?S BRAND AND PRESENCE. THIS WORK WILL SERVE TO BUILD CEO?S CAPACITY TO SERVE APPROXIMATELY 8,000 FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY. TWENTY VISTA MEMBERS AND TWO VISTA LEADERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT BY PERFORMING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GRANT PROPOSAL RESEARCH AND WRITING, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS FOR PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS, AND LOCAL OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OVER THE COURSE OF A ONE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD.