From WBZ News Cambridge:
The Cambridge Housing Authority has a unique program for teens in Cambridge Public Housing where they address specific educational issues.
"Being the first in their family to graduate high school, to go to college. So we started saying, 'How can we get them through high school?'" said Deputy Director of Resident Services at Cambridge Housing Authority Kambiz Maali.
They developed the Work Force High School program, where going to school becomes a job and young adults receive incentives for attending.
"That's how we've grown from a five-year program to an 11-year program, where we now start in sixth grade," Maali told WBZ-TV.
The classes are small and many of them are taught by the alums of the program.
"It would keep me accountable and learn really good skills around college enrollment and job readiness. So one of my favorite activities was, we would learn how to (tie neckties)," said Work Force Teacher-Counselor Yanley Francois.
Read WBZ News' article "Cambridge Work Force program helps high school students in public housing learn key life skills."