After a two year delay due to Covid-19, Riverfront School & Career Center is ready to launch their new Skilled Trades Program! The program is designed to educate students in all aspects of general construction, basic carpentry, electrical skills and other hands-on applications. The program was awarded two-years of startup funding by the Youth Development Division from the state of Oregon. The primary use for this funding will go toward the salary of the program manager, Austin Bean, recently hired at Looking Glass, youth wages for an eight week-long summer work experience and program operating expenses.

The new program needs a shop space and will also be holding a tool donation drive in January.

Since 1990, Looking Glass' Lane-Metro Youth Corps has coordinated work crews year-round, giving paid work experience each summer to Lane County youth and helping to make improvements to a variety of local natural resources and natural habitats. As this year’s crew experiences come to a close, the Army Corps of Engineers is thankful for the impact Looking Glass crew members have had on the indigenous plant life they’ve worked to restore near Fern Ridge and nearby wetland areas.

“Looking Glass has been a huge help to us!” said Adam Kotaich of the Army Corps Engineers. “Covid really short staffed us this year, so having their help has been tremendous.”