good sunday morning. welcome to "viewpoint." i'm pat lawson muse. over the past two decades it's been a life line to more than 30000 young people here in the nation's capital. covenant house washington is one of the largest and leading nonprofits serving exploited and disconnected young people in the region and one of the most critical services they provide is paving the path ways of opportunity for young people. joining us are dr. antoinette mitchell, assistant superintendent of post and secondary career education for the office of the state superintendent of education. dr. henson is president and ceo

of covenant house washington. and christopher hall is a 21-year-old who is benefitting from the career pathways program. welcome all you have to "viewpoint." >> thank you. >> covenant house young people helps with homelessness, physical and sexual abuse kids who drop out of school and kids who need vocational training and career but homelessness is one of your big problems right now, isn't it? >> homelessness is for young people oftentimes they're called the invisible young group, you don't see a lot of homeless young people on the streets. it is a big issue. it is one where we talk about 18 to 24-year-olds who are a core group of young people because of challenges of affordable housing, because they're changing their lifestyles or whose families are at a point of saying you're old enough to get out early. it's a major challenge for us here in the nation's capital.

>> and you don't find many homeless youth sitting in the classroom, do you? >> that's right. the problems in the classroom though are that the dropout rate. currently d.c. has a dropout rate of 62%. and that is a percentage that has been around for a while unfortunately. resulting in up to 60,000 people in the city who don't have high school kre depp shall -- credentials. >> that has led to characterize some schools in d.c. as dropout factories. what is your reaction to that term, that characterization? >> yeah. i think that there are different rates of dropouts at the various high schools in d.c. however, to categorize the high school as a dropout factory based on the number of students that actually complete in some ways lessens the -- can we do this again, please, sorry -- it

lessens the ability of those students who do pursue and obtain a diploma in ways that just aren't helpful. so i'm not sure it's a helpful characterization. >> you think it stigmatizes them? >> it stigmatizes them and the high school and the teachers and the administrators who are working so hard in the schools, yes. >> not helpful, in other words. >> not helpful. >> christopher, you are 21. you were a senior at beaulieu when you dropped out. what happened? >> i had some family issues going on at home. i was trying to juggle going to work and going to school because i was paying for my open -- own class dues. my parents wasn't really too understanding of that. so it kind of led me to stray off a little bit and thank god i found covenant. >> you also told me that you are a fast learner and that didn't work in your classroom. >> no, it really didn't. i tried to work through it and tried to stay focused but a lot

of students had different motives and a lot of activity going on around me. and it kind of threw the teacher off in trying to get the lesson across. for me it was very distracting and kind of discouraged me at times but senior year was -- it was tough. >> yeah. you were almost there. >> yeah, i was almost there. coming up to close to graduation, i had everything done. i had done everything they asked me to do. and then i just got snowballed with so many problems at home that i was on the edge of being homeless myself. so it scared me so, my family put me in a tough position to make a decision whether to go to school or pay up more money or just be homeless. >> so you're now working on your ged. so fill us in. what happened between dropping out of beaulieu and finding covenant house? >> once i dropped out, i just

at -- at some point i gave up. i didn't know where to turn to. i didn't think going back to school would be an option for me so i started to look for a lot of jobs. and didn't really work out for me, so one of my friends who were a student at covenant house referred me there and was like, this is a program for you. you're a good kid. you have the right head on your shoulders and you deserve a second chance. and i found covenant house and by far to me i think covenant house is one of the best second chance programs in the city. >> second chance. is his story typical? >> his story is very typical. young people come to us from many walks, they arrive on the door by various things that happen to them. but a set of circumstances as he said oftentimes it just becomes overcoming for them and they need to have some space to have that second chance. so we're excited to be there to

be in that space welcomeing whoever walks in our doors. >> all right. we'll continue our talk about covenant house washington right after taking a break. you're watching "viewpoint." why are we watching this again? i pay for all these channels, so i make myself watch them all. joey, i'll watch anything except this. except this. go back, go back, go back, go back, go back, go back. fios custom tv lets you pay for the types of channels you want, not the ones you don't. 100% fiber optics is here. get out of the past. get fios. now for $79.99 a month. go online or call. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

welcome back. we are talking about covenant house washington this morning and the program to get young people on the path to success in life and maybe, henson, if i can go back to christopher's story for a moment. so a young person walks in the doors of covenant house. where do you start with someone who comes out of a situation like his where his home is broken, he's confused. he's bright but distracted in school and just you know, is about to give up. >> exactly. i think the first thing is that

he walks through the door, anyone else -- pat, we have nearly a thousand people that walk through the front door every year and the first thing we do actually is ask them if they're they're hungry, they get a meal. if they need clothing, they get clothing. a shower. >> you tend to the basics. >> we tend to the basics first and then once that happens and there's a sense of dignity restored for that young person, we then connect them with our case managers. a full intake happens for them, to assess where they are and what are those things that they need to help get them back on that pathway. >> antoinette, we know that high school dropouts face bleak economic futures in terms of jobs and in terms of falling into poverty crime, incarceration. many have faced so many barriers to success. talk about that future. because there's still young people who don't understand how important it is to stay in school and get a high school diploma. >> absolutely.

the high school diploma really does open up pathways for our young people both in terms of employment, but also in terms of life choices. the ability to figure out what you're good at what you like to do, to find a career that will enable you to contribute to society is a really basic and fundamental activity that we all do that enhances our life and so a high school diploma is important to both your economic future, but also your social well-being. >> and there's debate about whether ged and a high school diploma are the same should be compared to one another. whether one is better than the other. whether the ged carries the stigma that cripples a student as they -- as they progress on their pathway. >> right. >> what are your thoughts about that? >> i think that you're quite right, that those differences have existed in the past. but in 2014, the ged changed

drastically. the rigor of the test increased significantly and as a result of that, i feel that the ged -- a person that has completed the ged successfully is on par with an individual who has completed a high school diploma. the differences between the two have been reduced dramatically, because the ged is now align with the common core which are the standards that are used in d.c. schools today. >> and your office proposed giving ged graduates traditional high school diplomas. that's still under consideration. >> yes. there are many sectors of the city that are now considering a high school diploma, considering giving a high school diploma to those who successfully complete the ged. i see the deputy mayor and the administration are in favor of

this. it's moving in the correct direction and it's matter of working with our partners at this point. >> maryland and 12 other states are doing this. >> correct. 12 other states, grant a high school diploma to those who successfully complete the ged. >> you're working on your ged, so how is that program going? >> i think it's very ben official. -- beneficial. it can focus on what i need to get done. to piggy off of what she just said, they changed the whole thing. to make it more testy is beneficial. >> more challenging you mean? >> yes. >> do you feel like you're learning more now in the ged program than you learned at beaulieu? >> it broadens my horizon, yes. i would say that. >> what do you want to do? >> i want to be a chef. i want to open up my own chain of restaurants. and i also want to do a charity event to -- based off that every year to feed the homeless out

of the whole area. >> how does he get from his ged to that? >> i think the first part we're working hard with christopher and with many others to make sure that they can successfully get through the ged program and as dr. mitchell said, and we are working as one of the providers with everyone in the city to try to ensure that once he gets that ged he also will have his high school diploma, so that will give him all of the opportunities that everyone else does have that also has that high school diploma. >> antoinette, ossie works with the d.c. school system -- public school system and other partners. how does that work? >> oh, absolutely. ossie is engaged in several active -- activities to support this work. we began with the ged testing center which is open from 9:00 to 3:00 every day, giving the exams. then we also support literacy

programs throughout the city. we have increased funding so that they can have the computers and the software to not only help learners prepare for the new tests which is computerized but also we have software that will help them prepare not only in terms of the computerization but also in terms of the contempt. used to be the ged was a test where you read and you could glean the answers from what the questions were. but now the test really requires you to bring knowledge to the exam in order to get the right answers. so we are doing that. and importantly, we have also opened a re-engagement center which is designed to do outreach to students like christopher to provide the best educational fit for students who have dropped out, but also to provide wrap around services so that those students can be successful. we'll stay with those students for a year. so the city really is embarking

upon a process to engage students in ways that will help everyone receive a high school diploma. >> all right. we'll continue our talk with covenant house washington right after this break. ahh, soccer. top chef. after this break. top chef. soccer! top chef! disco. say it and see it with the x1 voice remote from xfinity.

welcome back to our discussion about covenant house. tell us about career pathways and how that program puts young people who may have dropped out, who may have just lost their way in terms of school, but still want to pursue vocational training or some other kind of career. >> so career pathways is the name of our program and underneath that is our education programs, as well as our job readiness and our postsecondary placement programs that all

comes underneath career pathway. everything that happens to a young person to prepare them for a career. as the young people come into covenant house, if they need a -- their ged or you know, their high school diploma equivalency they go there for the education programs. some come prepared not for the ged, and they need adult based support which is helping to prepare you leading in the other fundamentals. all is underneath career pathways. in addition to that we have the job readiness, getting young people prepared to go to work. we do our interviewing skills. mock interviewing. helping them search for a job, teaching them how to go out and do that. also become the connector with those employers and our young people to help retain them in those jobs. and then in the third component under career pathways is the whole area of with

postsecondary, we are warning our young people it's not enough to get that high school diploma or just get that ged because the next part is where are you going next, so there are credentialed programs underneath that. we are connecting many to go on to college. we're utilizing support also from the city for scholarships that help them in that advent. so it's the umbrella component of our programming that helps young people get to the next step. >> where do the majority of them go after they leave? >> i would say what you find is a majority of the young people that come to covenant house are going to work. and i would say 90% of every young person that comes even in pursuing the education, they also need to look at how do we integrate work into that. >> because everybody needs a job. >> they need the income. it's not just the nice to have but a need to have. and so we have worked hard to

look at how they can do that dualy. so they may move further in their trade and then we have a large and growing group of young people that are going on to post secondary, to the community colleges and local colleges in the area. so that they can further their education and move forward as well. >> i was just going to ask you, antoinette, about that and how the trend is. i mean, are you seeing more students who are getting geds going on to postsecondary education? >> well, certainly we are pushing for that. it seems to me that the ged -- obtaining the ged opens that door and post second dare edge -- secondary education is so critical. we know that by 2020, 76% of the jobs in the district of columbia will require some type of postsecondary education. so when we think of postsecondary education we think

not only of a bachelor's degree, but an a.a. degree and a credential because those things will prepare individuals for careers that are sustaining. >> the fact is the economy is tough out there. for college graduates for college graduates who have been to graduate school. >> right. >> so students like christopher are really going to be facing a lot of competition, aren't they? >> they are facing a lot of competition. fortunately in d.c. we have a few programs that can help support our youth as they pursue postsecondary education and first among those is the tagg program, the tuition assistance grant, which will provide up to $10,000 to students to attend public or private institutions. to make up the difference between instate and out of state. we are nearing 5,000 eligible students this year alone. and it's made a real difference in the city in terms of our ability to have our students go on to postsecondary education.

>> and every dollar makes a difference. >> every dollar makes a difference. yes. >> all right. stay with us. we'll be right back.

why are we watching this again? i pay for all these channels, so i make myself watch them all. joey, i'll watch anything except this. except this. go back, go back, go back, go back, go back, go back. fios custom tv lets you pay for the types of channels you want, not the ones you don't.

100% fiber optics is here. get out of the past. get fios. now for $79.99 a month. go online or call. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v welcome back. you offer year round enrollment in the ged program? >> yes. >> what makes that distinctive? >> year round additionally meets the youth where they are. it's not a certain time of the year that i find myself disconnected so any day that you walk in is a day that you can begin your education and move forward. it is very helpful for most of those young persons coming and it's very different from many other programs that are even here within the district. >> christopher what should other young people who are watching you this morning expect when

they get into the ged program and what would you advise them to do? >> when they get into the program, they should expect a lot to be thrown at them. but just take in all the information. my advice would be, again, just take in the information, try to do as much studying as you can. when you finally do take the test, just put your best foot forward. >> do your best. sounds like something my dad told me. >> exactly. >> antoinette, it really takes more than teachers to keep young people in school doesn't it? it really does take a village. >> it takes a village and in d.c. it means the whole community. it means the politicians to the administrators to parents and families. everybody must come together to help our kids remember and understand the importance of education. not only in terms of future employment, but also in terms of life chances and just having a successful career.

>> yeah. >> and your advice, try to get an internship? >> internships are an important component of that and also we have a very vibrant internship program giving real work experience. we seek those employers that have opportunities for our youth to come there, so those are all part of the village answer as well. >> christopher, as you look ahead, ten years from now how do you see yourself? where do you see yourself? >> i see myself as a -- as an established chef and like i said before with my chain of restaurants going, giving back to my community. but most of all, being a better person. >> sounds good. good goals to reach for. christopher hall, good luck to you. >> thank you. >> antoinette mitchell and mady henson, thank you. thank you for joining us. that's "viewpoint." i'm pat lawson muse. stay with us for "news4 today" and enjoy your sunday.

"news4 today" begins with breaking news. >> and we begin with that breaking news in laurel. a deadly crash on i-95 just before the icc. this is video from our traffic camera of the crash scene. police tell us one northbound lane on 95 is shut down right now. only one car was involved in the crash. we're working to find it what caused it all. another person died in a crash on i-270 overnight. maryland state police say speed could be the cause. the driver crashed by the ramp from northbound 270 to middlebrook road. police shutting do unthat ram -- down that ramp but it's open now. and high water across the area is a major concern.