In 1999, Indianhead Community Action Agency, Inc. was chosen to replicate Operation Fresh Start's nearly three decades of success in Dane County, Wisconsin. Eligible youth ages 18-24 who have had difficulty in a traditional academic setting receive individualized tutoring to complete a high school equivalency diploma (HSED) along with receiving on-site new house construction training.
The housing sites are the vehicles for employment training and are at the center of a comprehensive program of educational and support services. Instruction in basic skills and preparation for the high school equivalency examination, instruction in independent living skills, leadership development, counseling, pre-employment skills training, placement in a job or post-secondary education, and supportive follow-up are vital components of the program.
The program provides young people with the necessary tools to lead them towards economic and social self-sufficiency. Participants earn an hourly wage for their construction training and classroom time. Houses completed by Wisconsin Fresh Start participants are in turn sold to low-income families in the community.
Currently Indianhead Community Action Agency, Inc. operates two programs, one in Washburn County and one in Sawyer County.
The most important goal of the projects is to help youth find their way toward self-sufficiency and build self-esteem through accomplishment, while staying on the path to success.
