Washington Youth Academy Groundbreaking

March 8, 2008

*As Written*


Good afternoon, and thank you General Lowenberg for the introduction.

Let me also recognize and welcome Congressman Dicks, who will speak to us in a few minutes.

This is a great day for our state and for the thousands of young men and women who will benefit from the Washington Youth Academy in the years to come.

Today is all about hope.

And it�s all about second chances for many, many of Washington�s young people.

The Washington Youth Academy is an idea whose time has come.

For the right boys and girls, it will be just the ticket for them to get a handle on who they are; what they are capable of; and what they want to be when they grow up.

The Academy will provide the discipline and safety our kids need � for everything from academic learning to job and life skills to physical fitness.

And these kids will get the help in a safe and professional residential learning environment.

The kids who come to the Academy will not be here because of their past, but because of their future.

I�m confident the Academy will empower these at-risk kids � all high-school dropouts -- to become responsible and productive citizens of our state.

These are kids who are at a critical fork in the road. They�re good kids. They won�t come with a lot of baggage.

These are kids who are drifting, who have known failure too often, but who can be saved with a second chance.

This Academy will be their second chance. Here, they will be in a structured, disciplined environment where they can get their young lives together enough to learn and thrive.

They will go on to win family wage jobs and help build our communities rather than burden them.

The state is spending $5 million in startup costs, but once established, the Academy will get 60 percent of its funding from the federal government. This is a very smart use of our dollars.

We know it�s smart because the program has been extremely successful in 29 other states.

I�m confident that the 100 young men and 50 young women who will be enrolled at any one time will be very glad to be in the program.

I have great expectations for this Academy � and what it promises our young people and our state.

Our next speaker is Sixth District Congressman Norm Dicks.

By way of introduction � not that he needs one � I�ll say there are few Congressmen who have done as much for their districts as Norm has done for this one.

His support for this Academy is an extension of his care and appreciation for education and opportunity for Washingtonians � all Washingtonians.

Norm is a friend and a tremendous help to me in so many ways on so many issues, and I know that working together, we�ll make sure the Academy gets the support it needs � now and always.

Norm? Welcome.