Career Exploration Project (CExP), CASES Youth Programs

According to the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES), which runs the program, CExP is a “workforce development program for court-involved youth that provides employment readiness training, career guidance, and meaningful work experience through paid internships, with the aim of setting … participants on a track of life-long learning and achievement.”  The 14-week program includes employment readiness training followed by an 8- to 10-week internship, during which CASES pays a stipend and offers ongoing training and support to participants. CASES also offers participants academic support, including college tours; support services such as after school enrichment activities, in-school education advocacy, family support, clinical services, and ongoing case management; and monthly alumni meetings, both to assist alumni facing post-program challenges and to offer support to current participants. CExP is an alternative to incarceration for first-time youth felony offenders.