Students live in comfortable, secure dorms and receive three nutritious meals each day in the cafeteria -- plus nightly snacks. All students receive basic medical and dental care, a clothing allowance, plus spending money every two weeks.

Job Corps, a Career Development Services System, is committed to providing programs and services that will assist Gary students in developing and progressing through their career path. Education is extremely important, but so are social skills. This system is designed to provide students with everything they need to succeed after leaving Job Corps.

Interaction between Students and Staff

Community Business Meetings

Community business meetings are held every Friday to bring students and staff together in one location. These meetings are designed to honor students for their achievements and to keep everyone well informed about community information.

Focus Groups

We do our best to address student's concerns. One method is to conduct monthly focus groups. Various employees meet monthly with groups of students to discuss prearranged questions. The facilitator reads the question, then asks students to respond. This is an excellent way for students and staff to interact in a positive structured environment. The facilitator then types up a detailed report listing student's responses, concerns and suggestions for improving the situation. The staff member also completes a section on the report with their suggestions for addressing or improving the situation. These reports are then forwarded to a review panel who analyzes the reports and suggests changes or adjustments as necessary.

Once the prearranged session is complete, students are allowed to discuss other issues if time allows.

Student Government Association (SGA)

Students receive more than an education at Gary, they also receive help developing leadership skills. SGA works together with staff to address student's concerns. They are elected by their peers to represent their interests on campus.

Cafeteria Monitoring

Another way staff interact with students is during lunch. Instructors, counselors, residential, recreation and wellness employees interact with students on a daily basis, but staff who work in administration, maintenance, property, shipping and receiving and other areas have limited or no interaction with students. Cafeteria monitoring is meant to bridge this gap between staff and students by providing an opportunity for them to get better acquainted during lunch period. Various staff members are assigned to monitor the cafeteria on scheduled days.

Mentoring Program

When new students arrive at Gary, they are paired with a staff mentor. This is a voluntary program for staff, so those who sign up do so because they want to be more involved with helping new students adapt to center life.