The Institute for IDEAS will provide a residential education program to help at-risk youth develop the motivation, self-control, responsibility, and social, civic and academic skills needed to complete high school and move into successful adulthood.

“It is so important that we recognize and respond to problems our children encounter as early as possible,” Mollohan said. “The YMCA has a long and tremendously successful history at engaging young people and helping them get on the right track. I was pleased to support this project.”

The YMCA eventually envisions an annual program of four 28-day sessions with 30 students enrolled in each session. A similar pilot program in the 1990’s demonstrated that the experience resulted in improved school grades, better school attendance, behavior improvements, and higher high school graduation rates.

“We understand how many competing priorities there are for federal funding and greatly appreciate Congressman Mollohan’s support for this project,” said David King, Executive Director of the Ohio-West Virginia YMCA. “Not only are too many of our youth failing to achieve up to their potential in school, they are not living up to their potential in preparation for career, family life, and as contributing members of the community.”

Programs that provide support for at-risk youth has been among Mollohan’s top priorities over the years. He has secured federal funding for a number of organizations that sponsor after-school programs for at-risk youth or provide safe residences to abused or neglected teens. He also inserted language in an appropriations bill that increased federal nutrition subsidies for West Virginia organizations that provide meals to at-risk youth.

Mollohan chairs the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which drafted its fiscal year 2011 spending bill last week. The $200,000 for the Institute for IDEAS is included in the draft. The legislation must be approved by the House and Senate and signed into law before any funding can be delivered.

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