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Community Partner Spotlight: Austin Folnagy, housing placement

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Community Partner Spotlight: Austin Folnagy, housing placement

Finding affordable, safe, quality housing is a challenge for a lot of people in Eugene and broader Lane County, but especially so for youth with limited rental history and sometimes criminal history. So it is particularly special to Looking Glass when a local community member agrees to long-term rental partnerships. Austin Folnagy is the most recent example of a willing and supportive landlord who enthusiastically embraces the opportunity to rent an entire complex to Looking Glass youth.

“It’s a way to give back, for sure,” Folnagy explained. “It’s a business, for sure, but by working with Looking Glass in this way, it’s a way to do good in our community too.”

Riverfront School Skilled Trades Program Begins Work on Tiny Home

Riverfront School Skilled Trades Program Begins Work on Tiny Home

Riverfront School & Career Center’s Skilled Trades Program has begun working on building an entire tiny home that will eventually be placed on a site owned and operated by Square One Villages, another Eugene nonprofit that Looking Glass is collaborating with.

The tiny home construction is a summer project for students/workers enrolled in the program who will receive paid work experience while they learn valuable skills.

Riverfront School & Career Center Seeking Youth For Paid Summer Work Experiences

Riverfront School & Career Center Seeking Youth For Paid Summer Work Experiences

Riverfront School & Career Center is seeking youth to sign up for summer paid work experiences through either our Lane Metro Youth Corps or Skilled Trades Programs. The Corps work is for youth ages 14 to 21 and the Skilled Trades Program is for 18 to 24 year old’s. Both offer 32 hour per week opportunities and great skill building!

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New Roads Outreach Team Expands Staff And Hours

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New Roads Outreach Team Expands Staff And Hours

Thanks in part to a capacity building grant awarded from Lane County (via HUD) in 2022, Looking Glass New Roads homeless youth program has expanded both its outreach team and operating hours for the drop-in center located on 7th Avenue in Eugene. The outreach team doubled in size from a staff of 4 to staff of 8 and New Roads went from providing services Monday-Friday 8:30 to 5 to now offering 7-day-a-week services from 8:30AM to 8:30PM.

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Vinnie's Smokin' BBQ Parks Truck At Riverfront School

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Vinnie's Smokin' BBQ Parks Truck At Riverfront School

Vinnie Cowan, who has owned and operated Vinnie’s Smokin’ BBQ along with his wife Debbie since roughly 2015, has entered into an informal partnership with Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center in which the students will work in his food truck, parked at Riverfront every Thursday offering lunch from 11AM to 2PM, and receive paychecks from Looking Glass via a workforce readiness grant program.

“We always try and give back to our community and felt that this was a great way to offer the kids some work experience,” Vinnie explained. “And the youth workers have been great! I’m actually hoping to hire a couple of them this summer when they’re out of school.”

Riverfront School Job Training Program is Seeking Youth Clients!

Riverfront School Job Training Program is Seeking Youth Clients!

The Riverfront Job Training Program is looking for youth age 16 to 24. High school graduates are welcome.

Paid work experience is provided as is assistance with GED if needed, support services (ID, bus passes, work clothing), career exploration, assistance applying for FAFSA and college applications.

Riverfront Skilled Trades Program Launching in Fall

Riverfront Skilled Trades Program Launching in Fall

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.

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Riverfront School & Career Center Offers Summer Programs for Youth

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Riverfront School & Career Center Offers Summer Programs for Youth

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.

Riverfront School Receives High Praise And 5-Year Accreditation

Riverfront School Receives High Praise And 5-Year Accreditation

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

New Roads Offers Youth Narcotics Anonymous Group Thursdays

New Roads Offers Youth Narcotics Anonymous Group Thursdays

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.

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Staff Spotlight: New Roads School Teacher Dane Eckweiler

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Staff Spotlight: New Roads School Teacher Dane Eckweiler

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.

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