The 2014-’15 YES program year came to an end in style with 11 districts sending their best dressed graduates to St. Nicholas Hall in Minersville. This year a total of 293 students were awarded the YES certificate, with 50 of those students achieving perfect attendance.
It was a year of firsts for Hazleton and Wyoming Valley West high schools as they each graduated their first YES class in school history.
Here are some quick YES facts from this past year:
- A total of seventeen (17) school districts offered the YES Program for the 2014-15 school year. They include Blue Mountain, Crestwood Area, Hazleton, Mahanoy Area, Minersville Area, North Schuylkill, Pine Grove Area, Pittston Area, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area, and Williams Valley, Wyoming Valley West high schools. The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit #29 also offered the program, as well as, Fort LeBoeuf and Central Tech in Erie County. Total enrollment was 775 students.
- 56 tours were offered with 5 new tour hosts opening their doors to YES students. Those new tour hosts were: American Eagle Outfitter DC, Huntsinger Farms, Tredegar, Dandelion Farm Equestrian Center, and Multi-Plastic Extrusions. They offered 5 tours this year. Currently, there are 47 businesses offering tours. To date, 310 tours have been coordinated since the program began in 2006 with just 1 school district.
- Mock interviews were conducted with YES program participants. Each student provided a cover letter and resume and the interview was customized to the student’s career interests. Approximately six (6) schools and 375 students participated.
- Penn State University will continue to offer a one-time scholarship to all YES Northeast graduates who attend the Hazleton and Schuylkill campuses. To date, PSU has awarded 45 total scholarships. McCann School of Business and Technology has granted 3 YES graduates their Imagine America Scholarship, which applies to campuses in Allentown, Carlisle, Dickson City, Hazleton, Pottsville, Sunbury, and Wilkes-Barre.