City's TEMPO Program Graduates A Record 122 Students

City's TEMPO Program Graduates A Record 122 Students

June 29, 2022

The City of Tallahassee's nationally recognized youth program, Tallahassee Engaged in Meaningful Productivity for Opportunity (TEMPO), graduated a record 122 participants. They comprise TEMPO's fifth cohort and the largest graduating class since the program began in 2017.

In a ceremony on June 24 at the Old West Enrichment Center, 68 formerly at-risk students received their GED certificates and 54 received technical certificates from Lively Technical College and Tallahassee Community College, in such areas as cosmetology, EMS, nursing and welding. Family, friends, City officials and other community leaders cheered them on as they crossed the stage.

"Seeing the pride on the faces of the TEMPO graduates speaks volumes about how this City program changes mindsets and lives," Mayor John E. Dailey said. "With marketable skills and newly gained confidence, these students are creating a better future for themselves, their families and our entire community. TEMPO alumni are showcasing the positive trajectory the program provides with a zero percent recidivism rate, more than 400 now employed and 319 enrolled in higher education."

Administered by the City's Department of Housing & Community Resilience (HCR), TEMPO is a public safety outreach initiative that seeks to identify, engage and reconnect disconnected or at-risk youth, 16-24 years-old, to educational and employment opportunities. TEMPO also offers a stop-gap initiative that allows family members of participants to attain their GEDs regardless of age, further strengthening support networks and increasing a household's opportunity to move out of generational poverty. For example, one member of the Class of 2022 was a mother whose son graduated from TEMPO last year.

On July 1, TEMPO is slated to receive $500,000 from the State of Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice, doubling last year's state appropriation. This additional funding will benefit up to 150 disconnected youth by providing workforce training scholarships and credential attainment through a vocational or technical college or university.

For more information about TEMPO and how this program offers viable alternatives by providing paths to economic opportunity for area youth, visit Talgov.com/TEMPO or call 850-891-8722.