"Jathan Jones revels in the campus life at Kicking Horse Job Corps Center, nestled as it is amid postcard-perfect scenery in the foothills of the Mission Mountains, offering vocational training in 11 job skill areas.
“We're spoiled here,” said Jones, a 19-year-old medical assistant student. “We get so many opportunities to do things. The food is great and the view is beautiful.”
The teenager from Rosebud, S.D., quickly developed a positive mind-set about the Job Corps training program, a school he once thought was only for “delinquents.”
“I said, ‘I don't want to go there,' ” said Jones. He credits his twin brother, Jonathan “J.D.” Jones, a carpentry student, for telling him about the center he now holds in high regard.
On Wednesday, school officials will open the doors to people interested in learning more about Kicking Horse Job Corps as part of an open house, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The school will provide tours, lunch, vocational displays and door prizes.
“It's one of the best free educations in the United States,” said Charles Camel, center director at Kicking Horse. “We want our kids to capitalize on such a program if they're eligible.”
It doesn't cost anything to attend the school, but it's also not available for just anybody. Students must meet income requirements, be a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and be willing and able to engage in an academic and trade-school environment."
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