The Fall 2020 class selected The HUB Central Access Point for Young Adults as the recipient of a $5,000 grant. The HUB provides unconditional, individualized support to unconnected young adults in Lincoln. The staff assists them in a variety of ways, some of which include studying for the GED, securing safe housing, developing life skills and making connections. Staff at The HUB help prepare young adults for their futures by giving them the knowledge and life skills needed for employment and their roles as contributing members of society, as well as helping them build confidence in themselves.
The HUB used the Strive to Thrive Lincoln grant to expand their GED (General Education Development) program. During the pandemic, many young adults were not working or were given fewer work hours, and so they prioritized preparing for the four GED tests in order to obtain a high school diploma. They could do this through the online platform made available through The HUB.
According to Rose Hood-Buss, Executive Director of The HUB, before the pandemic, there were five young adults preparing for the GED online through The HUB and 15 were preparing in-person. Like most organizations, The HUB had to modify its operations due to the pandemic. In the case of GED preparation, all GED activities were moved online; however, the online platform The HUB uses only had capacity for 10 young adults. This limited the number of young adults that could be actively working on their GED.
Thanks to the Strive to Thrive Lincoln grant, as well as other funding sources, The HUB was able to increase seats in the online classroom platform to serve 35 young adults, and there remains a waitlist of interested young adults who are ready to begin working toward their GED requirements.
Learn more about The HUB Central Access Point for Young Adults at: http://hublincoln.org/