eliada school of trade arts
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Informational booklet on the Eliada School of Trade ArtsTRANSCRIPT
The Eliada Schoolof Trade Arts
A Post-Secondary Trade Schooland Transitional Living Programfor Extraordinary Young Men
2 Compton DriveAsheville, NC 28806
www.eliada.org 828.254.5356
About The Eliada School
of Trade Arts
The Eliada School of Trade Arts
(ESTA) is a new post-secondary
residential school developed to
specifically meet the needs of young
men recently transitioning from long-
term foster care to adulthood.
The mission of ESTA is to promote the
development of useful trades, provide
opportunities for character development, and
cultivate an enthusiastic work ethic that enables
students to become successful and respected
members of our community.
The development of ESTA was driven by the
bleak statistics that characterize long-term foster
youth. Shuffled between foster or group homes
for the majority of their childhood, they are
often unequipped and ill prepared for life as
independent adults. Overwhelmed by the sudden
lack of structure adulthood represents, they find
themselves without resources, skills, or support.
These young people, males in particular, are at
extreme risk for incarceration, substance abuse,
homelessness, and early parenthood. They are
unlikely to finish high school, let alone complete
a college degree. They lack basic skills and
education necessary to build a stable future.
Without the support of caring educators and
mentors to guide them to success, they are likely
to fall through the cracks of society.
ESTA is poised to offer these youth a unique
opportunity. Through vocational and academic
training, character development, a support
network, and the experience of transitional living,
ESTA will give needy young men the tools to
become self-sufficient adults and productive
members of society.
Foster Care Outcomes: A
National Look
• 80% of our current prison population in
the U.S. is comprised of former foster
children.
• 25% of children leaving foster care are
incarcerated within two years.
• 66% of children exiting foster care have
not finished high school or obtained a
GED by age 19.
• 50% of kids within 1.5 years of leaving
foster care are unemployed.
• 25% are homeless within four years of
leaving care.
• 3% of former foster children complete a
college degree.
Continuation of A Legacy
Eliada has served the children and families of
Western North Carolina for over 107 years.
Originally a home for unwed mothers and
later maintained as an orphanage, Eliada has
grown to become what is today the region’s
premier provider of residential care for high-
acuity children and adolescents. In addition,
Eliada offers foster care, day treatment, child
development programming, and therapeutic
recreation opportunities in support of its
mission: Helping Children Succeed.
Eliada’s founder, Dr. Lucius B. Compton, began
the organization out of a spiritual conviction
to help “the last, the least, and the lost” among
society. He held a strong belief that each of us
was created for a specific purpose, and that
we all have the ability to use adversity in life
not to make us victims, but to shape great
character. He believed deeply in creating an
environment that fostered an “enthusiastic
work ethic” in the children that lived at Eliada.
He felt this sense of purpose and duty was
one of the greatest gifts you could give a
young adult; a gift that would provide stability
and happiness throughout adulthood.
The establishment of ESTA is a natural
continuation of Dr. Compton’s original vision
and of Eliada’s mission: Helping Children
Succeed. For decades, Eliada has pioneered
new programs to meet the changing needs of
those we serve; this is certainly the most
ambitous of those efforts, and the one with
the most potential to change the lives of the
youth who participate.
ESTA is the next incarnation of
Eliada’s service to the youth of our
region. It is our hope that success in
this program will be widely
replicated as a statewide or even
national model of best practices in
serving long-term foster youth.
The historical photos above are evidence of the emphasis Dr.
Compton placed on hard work and character. ETSA is a
natural extension of this legacy.
Academics
TrADE PrOGrAMS
Associates Degree & Master Tradesman Programs
Year 1 & 2
Culinary Technology
Coursework in culinary skill development and restaurant
management
Year 3
Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Technology
Emphasis on green technologies & installation
Year 4
Construction Management & Arts
Emphasis in basic construction skills with coursework in
job management, code, bids, and purchasing
Year 5
Facility Management
Coursework in project management, landscaping,
employee management, and facilities maintenance
EDUCATION
Vocational Training
Fifty percent of instructional time is spent in
experiential, hands-on educational opportunities
to foster real-world skills. Beginning with the
most basic skills and progressing to advanced
levels of his chosen trade, each student will have
the opportunity to become an expert in his field.
During the second year of instruction, students
will have the opportunity to participate in a
capstone project in conjunction with established
businesses in the greater Asheville community.
This resume-building experience will give the
opportunity to practically apply classroom
knowledge to on-the-job projects.
Academic Instruction
The remainder of the educational experience takes
place in a smart classroom setting. Students will
participate in general and business education
coursework, including English, Ethics, Finance,
Spanish, Public Speaking, and much more. This will
ensure that ESTA students are on a level playing field
with students in other academic institutions.
Values
Equally important as the academic and vocational coursework is the character development that ESTA
students will receive. Each day will begin with a mandatory chapel service in a non-denominational Judeo-
Christian atmosphere. Students will benefit from service learning opportunities, teambuilding exercises, and
values-driven mentorship.
Students are required to commit to ESTA’s core values as well as a rigorous code of conduct that prohibits
drug and alcohol use. The development of personal discipline is an important component of the ESTA
experience.
Faith, Hope & Love, Excellence, Teamwork, and Integrityare the core values that form the moral foundation of the ESTA curriculum.
Character Development
Each student will develop their character and ethics
through opportunities to plan for their future and
make important life decisions for themselves. With
the assistance of residential advisors and mentors,
each student will participate in Eliada's Castle
Building curriculum.
Castle Building applies the principles of strategic
planning to achieve personal success. Organizations
use the strategic planning process to identify their
mission, vision, values, goals, and action steps. The
process also gives organizational leaders the
opportunity to objectively think about their
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Through strategic planning, organizations are able to
set short and long-term goals that enable them to
become visionary companies.
Castle Building is a program that allows individuals
to capitalize on the immense power of the strategic
planning process in a very personal and meaningful
way.
Castle Building explores the student's hopes for:
• Their relationship with their future spouse,
children, co-workers and friends;
• Their spiritual and philosophical beliefs, how they
practice those beliefs, and how to incorporate them
into daily life;
• Their education and career goals;
• Their ideal place to live and what role they see
themselves playing in the community;
• Achieving a healthy lifestyle that will be a part of
daily adult life.
From admission, Castle Building will be a primary
component of the student experience. Students will
revisit their strategic plan quarterly, ensuring that
they are able to stay focused on their long-term
aspirations.
Castle Building
“If you have built castles in the air,
your work need not be lost; that is
where they should be. Now put the
foundations under them.”
~Henry David Thoreau
Student Life
rESIDENTIAL LIFE
During the academic term, all students are required to
live in a campus dormitory at all times. Student housing
will be provided in an apartment-style setting, with two
students per apartment and a full-time resident
Advisor in each building. Housing will accomodate 8
students in the first year, 16 in the second year, and 34
in the third and fourth years. Students will be expected
to maintain a standard of cleanliness and hygiene in
their living quarters.
Amenities include:
• Living room and kitchen facilities;
• Washers and dryers (free to students);
• Workout facilities, including weights, exercise
machines, student driving range, a climbing wall, and
outdoor pool.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Each student is required to participate in at least two
of the following activities:
• 5K Cross Country Team;
• Golf Team;
• Ambassador Program (tour guide);
• Intramural Athletics with UNCA;
• Wrestling Team;
• Student Government;
• Student Newspaper.
CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY
All academic classrooms are “smart” classrooms, and
students will have regular access to the internet as
well as their own personal laptop computer. Eliada
maintains a designated computer lab and state-of-the
art projection and videoconferencing technology.
Students will be issued a school email account.
LEADErSHIP DEVELOPMENT
On Saturdays, students will be required to participate
in high-adventure team building activities designed to
instill confidence, promote a sense of comraderie, and
reward positive behaviors. In addition, students will
participate in a series of service projects across the
community, with a particular emphasis on those that
have congruency with their specific field of study.
Adventure activities and service projects may involve
overnight field trips to locations across the Southeast.
A Practical Distinction
ACCrEDITATION
ESTA is currently undergoing an 18-month
accreditation process to achieve recognition
through the Accrediting Council for Independent
Colleges and Schools. Upon receiving this
accreditation, ESTA will have the ability to confer
AAS degrees and certificates, accept federal
financial aid, and negotiate articulation agreements
for those students interesting in continuing their
education at a four year college or university.
CArEEr PLACEMENT
Each student will work with a dedicated counselor
to prepare a career assessment plan (CAP). CAP
advisors will help students identify key goals and the
action steps needed to achieve those goals, be they
additional education, specialized training, or
expanded work experience. CAP advisors will also
network through Eliada’s community partners to
identify career placement opportunities for new
ESTA graduates.
WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO WITH AN ESTA EDUCATION?
CuLINAry TEChNOLOgy
Restaurant Chef
Personal Chef
Restaurant Owner
Caterer
Pastry Chef
Instructor
Line Chef
Food & Beverage Administrator
Specialty Product Manager
Food Writer
Cookbook Author
hVAC TEChNOLOgy
Installation Technician
HVAC Engineer
Estimator
System Control Specialist
Repair Mechanic
Equipment Sales
Green Technician
Energy Retrofit/Energy Audit Specialist
CONSTruCTION ArTS
Carpenter
Subcontractor
Quality Control Specialist
Furniture Builder
Mason
Electrician’s Apprentice
Project Manager
Purchaser/Supply Management
Tile Installer
Roofer
Compliance Manager
FACILITIES mANAgEmENT
Property Manager
Superintendent
Landlord
Caretaker
Facilities Manager
Project Manager
Maintenance Technician
Landscaper
Turfgrass Manager
More Than A Degree...
A SOLID FOUNDATION FOr SUCCESS
ESTA was created for long-term foster youth, without significant resources or support, who are at risk of
succumbing to the demographics that currently characterize their peer group. Our goal is to prepare them
emotionally, academically, and financially for the real world. To that end, ESTA graduates leave with a variety of
tools and resources to enable success, including:
• An AAS degree in a specified trade;
• real-world work experience through the senior
capstone project;
• Transitional living experience to foster independence
gradually;
• Opportunities for service learning and high-
adventure team building experiences;
• Access to long-term individualized career counseling
and job placement assistance, available even after
graduation;
• A savings account of nearly $10,000; students will
earn money through their work experience ($7,450
each year), 2/3 of which is required to be restricted
for savings, accessible after graduation;
• A network of support comprised of community
connections, long-lasting friendships with fellow
alumni, and staff mentors.
SELECTION CrITErIA
• Male US citizen;
• 19 years or younger at
the start of first term;
• Unmarried;
• High school diploma;
• Negative drug screen;
• In good health;
• Financially
disadvantaged; access to
less than $10,000 in
personal resources;
• Primary consideration
given to former Eliada
students.
APPLICATION MATErIALS
• Official high school transcript or GED documents;
• Official, state-issued birth certificate;
• Copy of recent physical and immunization record;
• Letter indicating applicant’s goals and motivation to
seek admission;
• Letters of character reference from non-family
members;
• Personal interview with members of Eliada’s senior
management and Board of Trustees;
• Signed contractual agreement stating expectations
for academic performance, progress toward trade
skills, and conduct (provided once admission is offered);
• Signed authorization form allowing Eliada to seek aid
sources on applicant’s behalf;
• Signed photo and media information release.
Students wishing more detailed information or requesting
application materials are invited to contact Eliada CEO
Mark Upright at [email protected] or by phoning
828.254.5356 x 105.
Eliada School of Trade ArtsTwo Compton DriveAsheville, NC 28806
www.eliada.org828.254.5356 (p)828.259.5384 (f)