CalWORKing it
The Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) was named Partner of the Year by Santa Clara County for the 35th annual CalWORKs Achievement Awards. MetroED, which serves the Milpitas Unified School District. operates Silicon Valley Career Technical Education and Silicon Valley Adult Education (SVAE), the latter of which operates a CalWORKs, or California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, program for its students.
“CalWORKs liaison services is meant to support the transition of CalWORKs participants from cash aid to self-sufficiency by providing education, training, direct services, support and guidance through the adult education system,” said county management analyst Jennifer Holmboe in a release. “MetroED has done this with a great attitude, genuine care and interest in our clients, and with a record of success.”
MetroED serves an average of 65 CalWORKs clients per year. Its CalWORKs team was selected for the award from a pool of about 25 other organizations. While this is not the first time an adult education provider has earned the honor, Holmboe noted that the last adult education recipient was in 2014.
Beyond its core CalWORKS work, MetroED staff “supply much-needed and valuable services to our CalWORKs families,” Holmboe said.
In 2023, they began hosting a monthly food distribution with Second Harvest Food Bank, which served 642 individuals across 136 households at a recent distribution. Staff also maintain a career closet with donated professional attire for students to use during interviews, and they partner with Toys for Tots to ensure families in the program can receive holiday gifts for their children.
MetroED will be formally recognized at the CalWORKs Achievement Awards Board of Supervisors ceremony on Monday, Sept. 15.
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