Aug. 19, 2011

On August 10, various San Diego public agencies partnered together to present the third annual Passport to Life Career and Education Expo, an event dedicated to reshaping the futures of juvenile offenders. The program is open to youth ages 14 to 24 who are on probation or have a probation history. The event focuses on higher education and work-readiness skills and brings employers and the youth together for one-on-one interactions. “This is our third year of offering our 5,500 probation youth exposure to career and educational opportunities within our community. It is inspiring and heartwarming to hear the feedback from the attendees and their parents,” said Superior Court Judge Carolyn M. Caietti. The expo featured a talk by Food Network television personality Chef Jeff, who shared his own story of overcoming a criminal past. Various workshops followed the presentation, including “First Impressions,” “Landing and Keeping a Job,” “Pathways to Completing High School,” “Education Beyond High School” and “Take Control of Your Financial Future.” Approximately 60 organizations representing schools, branches of the military, careers, training services and other resources staffed informational tables to provide assistance and advice to roughly 800 attendees.