TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A nationally recognized City of Tallahassee youth program celebrated a major milestone July 2, graduating 160 formerly at-risk students at the Old West Enrichment Center as part of its ninth cohort.
“The City of Tallahassee’s TEMPO program continues to yield amazing results,” Mayor John E. Dailey said. “It has a proven track record over the years of successfully engaging more than 4,200 participants in educational and vocational opportunities and is credited with not only changing lives but saving lives.”
The graduates included 120 General Education Diploma recipients, the largest number of GED recipients since the program began in 2017 with 12 students.
Another 40 students will receive technical certificates from Lively Technical College, Tallahassee State College and Florida Health Science Consulting. Those students will pursue careers including cosmetologist, barber, electrician, welder, aviation mechanic, patient care technician and administrative specialist.
Tallahassee Engaged in Meaningful Productivity for Opportunity, known as TEMPO, is administered by the city’s Department of Housing & Community Resilience. The public safety outreach effort identifies, engages and reconnects disconnected or at-risk youth ages 16-24 who are neither employed nor in school, linking them to educational and employment opportunities.
The public was invited to attend the TEMPO graduation ceremony Thursday, July 2, from 6-8 p.m. at the Old West Enrichment Center, 2344 Lake Bradford Road.
More information about the city’s TEMPO program is available at Talgov.com/TEMPO or by calling 850-891-8722.