AMIkids offer teens, young adults a 2nd - or even a 3rd - chance at success
By Mary Lett
AMIkids is a place for second chances – or even third chances.
The organization’s Youth Build Program helps 16- to 24-year-olds earn GEDs and industry certifications, learn a skilled craft while developing leadership and life skills. The program also helps them find and keep jobs.
Monti Sommer, AMIkids executive director, knows firsthand the impact of the Youth Build Program.
“We had a former student who was passing a construction site, went in and applied for a job. Once he told the foreman about his industry certifications, he was hired on the spot,” Sommer shared. “This was a kid who was quiet, and sort shy when he started in our Youth Build Program at AMIkids. He had earned his certifications and was able to sell himself to the foreman.”
Sommer has even more stories like this – some program graduates on to college, the military or find good jobs.
“The expectations are once our students earn their certifications and GEDs, we expect them to be in a placement of either employment or postsecondary education or additional certifications like over at Pensacola State (College) or George Stone (Technical College),” he said.
Funded mainly by a U.S. Department of Labor $1.35 million Youth Build grant, the current program began in October and provides funding for 60 students. This is AMIkids’s second Youth Build grant – in 2021, the organization was awarded a $1.5 million grant for 84 students. Divided into four separate cohorts, the last group graduated in May with 13 of those students earning GEDs and 15 vocational certificates.
“Only 75% of our funding comes from DOL (Department of Labor), the other 25%, my board raises,” Sommer added. “That’s a pretty significant amount but I think the Department of Labor wants to see the local community have skin in the game.”
Cleo Bruster, one of the students in the current cohort, didn’t do well in a traditional high school. The 17-year-old is now working toward earning his GED.
“I feel welcomed here. I come to school every day here. When I was going to normal school, I would go two days out of a week – three. That was just from me being stubborn, and not going, ” said Bruster who has already earned his NCCER Site Safety, OSHA 10, NCCER, Career Readiness and First Aid/CPR certifications.
He said the faculty and staff at AMIkids are invested in the success of the students.
“They actually take the time to help us. If one person has trouble, most likely there is someone else who doesn’t know what’s going on too. So, we’ll go over the lesson again, because some people don’t like to speak up,” he said. “We all have different learning styles, and we’ve learned about that here.”
Bruster feels good about his accomplishments and so does his mother, Sharale Joseph.
“I’ve noticed a change in him. It’s like he’s found his tribe. He was enrolled in the George Stone’s GED program, but he didn’t have any motivation – at all,” Joseph said. “At first, I was scared he wouldn’t do it, but he gets up every day and comes. Even if he’s running late, he will call and let them know he’ll be there in 15 minutes.”
She said her son even recognizes his growth.
“One day when I picked him up, he told me that he felt like he’s on the right track,” Joseph said. “That’s why I tell Cleo every day how proud I am of him. You all don’t know what he was before he came here – so I encourage him to keep going, and don’t stop.”
Bruster can’t say enough good about AMIkids.
“It’s everything from the hands-on (learning), to the instructors teaching us ,” said Bruster, who plans to enroll in George Stone to study welding after completing the Youth Build program. “I would recommend AMIkids to anyone who may not like normal school – 100%."
Marquis Seagraves also struggled to fit in at Escambia High. In fact, he had decided to drop out of school, get his GED and find a job in construction. However, someone recommended AMIkids to his mother.
“Honestly, I didn’t like school in general. I hated it since I started, the setting, the rules – even though I understand there are reasons for rules,” said the 18-year-old who serves as the AMIkids student government vice president and thrives in the direct learning environment. “Here, we’re doing physical construction work, other students are cleaning up the shop, working with power tools.”
Seagraves noted several added benefits at AMIkids.
“It almost is too good to be true. It’s everything you could ask for. The GED, your workforce certifications and then being connected to good jobs is really promising for my future,” said Seagraves, who plans to eventually join the U.S. Navy.
Kelis Rich said the Youth Build Program is allowing her to finish high school.
“I’m here to earn my GED. I went through 13 years of school, but I didn’t get graduate or get a diploma,” said Rich, who attended Pine Forest High School but couldn’t pass the state reading test. “It really put a damper on my plans. I had dreams of going to college because I wanted to go into the medical field.”
The 20-year-old also plans to earn a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and phlebotomist certificates and eventually go to nursing school.
“Each staff member helps us, individually. They are never too hard on us and never judgmental. It’s a really encouraging environment,” she said.
AMIkids offer teens, young adults a 2nd - or even a 3rd - chance at success
Mary Lett
AMIkids is a place for second chances – or even third chances.
The organization’s Youth Build Program helps 16- to 24-year-olds earn GEDs and industry certifications, learn a skilled craft while developing leadership and life skills. The program also helps them find and keep jobs.
Monti Sommer, AMIkids executive director, knows firsthand the impact of the Youth Build Program.
“We had a former student who was passing a construction site, went in and applied for a job. Once he told the foreman about his industry certifications, he was hired on the spot,” Sommer shared. “This was a kid who was quiet, and sort shy when he started in our Youth Build Program at AMIkids. He had earned his certifications and was able to sell himself to the foreman.”
Sommer has even more stories like this – some program graduates on to college, the military or find good jobs.
“The expectations are once our students earn their certifications and GEDs, we expect them to be in a placement of either employment or postsecondary education or additional certifications like over at Pensacola State (College) or George Stone (Technical College),” he said.
Funded mainly by a U.S. Department of Labor $1.35 million Youth Build grant, the current program began in October and provides funding for 60 students. This is AMIkids’s second Youth Build grant – in 2021, the organization was awarded a $1.5 million grant for 84 students. Divided into four separate cohorts, the last group graduated in May with 13 of those students earning GEDs and 15 vocational certificates.
“Only 75% of our funding comes from DOL (Department of Labor), the other 25%, my board raises,” Sommer added. “That’s a pretty significant amount but I think the Department of Labor wants to see the local community have skin in the game.”
Cleo Bruster, one of the students in the current cohort, didn’t do well in a traditional high school. The 17-year-old is now working toward earning his GED.
“I feel welcomed here. I come to school every day here. When I was going to normal school, I would go two days out of a week – three. That was just from me being stubborn, and not going, ” said Bruster who has already earned his NCCER Site Safety, OSHA 10, NCCER, Career Readiness and First Aid/CPR certifications.
He said the faculty and staff at AMIkids are invested in the success of the students.
“They actually take the time to help us. If one person has trouble, most likely there is someone else who doesn’t know what’s going on too. So, we’ll go over the lesson again, because some people don’t like to speak up,” he said. “We all have different learning styles, and we’ve learned about that here.”
Bruster feels good about his accomplishments and so does his mother, Sharale Joseph.
“I’ve noticed a change in him. It’s like he’s found his tribe. He was enrolled in the George Stone’s GED program, but he didn’t have any motivation – at all,” Joseph said. “At first, I was scared he wouldn’t do it, but he gets up every day and comes. Even if he’s running late, he will call and let them know he’ll be there in 15 minutes.”
She said her son even recognizes his growth.
“One day when I picked him up, he told me that he felt like he’s on the right track,” Joseph said. “That’s why I tell Cleo every day how proud I am of him. You all don’t know what he was before he came here – so I encourage him to keep going, and don’t stop.”
Bruster can’t say enough good about AMIkids.
“It’s everything from the hands-on (learning), to the instructors teaching us ,” said Bruster, who plans to enroll in George Stone to study welding after completing the Youth Build program. “I would recommend AMIkids to anyone who may not like normal school – 100%."
Marquis Seagraves also struggled to fit in at Escambia High. In fact, he had decided to drop out of school, get his GED and find a job in construction. However, someone recommended AMIkids to his mother.
“Honestly, I didn’t like school in general. I hated it since I started, the setting, the rules – even though I understand there are reasons for rules,” said the 18-year-old who serves as the AMIkids student government vice president and thrives in the direct learning environment. “Here, we’re doing physical construction work, other students are cleaning up the shop, working with power tools.”
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Seagraves noted several added benefits at AMIkids.
“It almost is too good to be true. It’s everything you could ask for. The GED, your workforce certifications and then being connected to good jobs is really promising for my future,” said Seagraves, who plans to eventually join the U.S. Navy.
Kelis Rich said the Youth Build Program is allowing her to finish high school.
“I’m here to earn my GED. I went through 13 years of school, but I didn’t get graduate or get a diploma,” said Rich, who attended Pine Forest High School but couldn’t pass the state reading test. “It really put a damper on my plans. I had dreams of going to college because I wanted to go into the medical field.”
The 20-year-old also plans to earn a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and phlebotomist certificates and eventually go to nursing school.
“Each staff member helps us, individually. They are never too hard on us and never judgmental. It’s a really encouraging environment,” she said.
As part of career readiness, AMIkids also has a student clothing closet and a barber to come in weekly.
Mickey Wade, a Pensacola barber, said AMIkids improves its students and the community.
“This program is getting our kids to graduate with their GEDs and helping them get to the next level – understanding and keeping jobs,” said Wade, who volunteers with Escambia Connects. “I managed restaurants for years, and kids come in every day and get a job. Once they get a paycheck, they quit. AMIkids is teaching these young people how to sustain and keep jobs and do better in their community.”
LeeRoy Sheckles, a former AMIkids instructor, knows firsthand what it is like to lose your way.
“AMIkids is a safe place for kids who may not necessarily fit into the traditional school setting,” said Sheckles who is now a development manager with the United Way of West Florida.
In sixth grade, Sheckles was a student at Brown Barge Middle School. Following his father’s death, he lost his way, eventually ending up in a program like the Youth Build.
“The kids at AMIkids aren’t troublemakers or bad kids, they are social misfits who don’t do well in the regular school setting,” he said.
Sommer understands that and helping these young people is his mission.
“Once you are family, you are always family here. It doesn’t hurt me to help place a kid, who really wants to do well, in a position to get an interview for a job,” Sommer said of the Youth Build Program.
“If they need support, they can find it here. In fact, I have some kids coming back now to polish up their resumes, and then we print some off to make sure they have copies. If they get a job, that is a win! And that’s a win for families.”