Operation Fresh Start gets $250K grant to expand programming
June 15, 2021 7:28 PM
Stephen Cohn
Updated:
MADISON, Wis. — A Madison nonprofit received a $250,000 grant Tuesday from the Ascendium Education Group.
Operation Fresh Start, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, works to put disconnected youth on a path to self-sufficiency.
The two-year grant will help OFS bolster its existing Graduate Crew program, which provides pre-apprentice training for young people just starting careers in the construction trade.
It will also add a Conservation Graduate Crew to address a growing need for diverse young adults in the field.
“This wonderful gift from Ascendium will provide more young people with training, education and access to career-track employment,” said OFS Executive Director Greg Markle in a statement. “Expanding the Graduate Crew to include a pathway into the conservation industry will create a new doorway to economic prosperity for emerging adults who need support finding pandemic-resistant career opportunities.”