The Division of Youth Services plans to further expand the Kagman Community Center to accommodate three times the number of students it already does. <\/p>\n
According to Division of Youth Services administrator Vivian Sablan, the center has been open to students in the Kagman area since December 2016 but has only been able to accommodate a maximum of 50 students. <\/p>\n
Sablan said the Division of Youth Services has been applying for a grant through the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.\u2019s Community Development Block Grant program to fund the center\u2019s expansion.<\/p>\n
Finally, after two years of applying for the grant, the division was able to secure over $300,000 for this fiscal year.<\/p>\n
Sablan is already excited about the upcoming developments at the center. The money\u2014exactly $323,081\u2014will not only fund renovations to the facilities, but also for its expansion. <\/p>\n
With the expansion, Sablan said the center will be able to accommodate three times the number of students that they already accommodate. <\/p>\n
The grant will also fund more classrooms for the center, additional bathrooms, and shower rooms. <\/p>\n
Sablan said the expansion will serve two purposes: ensuring a place for students and the youth of Kagman where they can get active and a place where they can do their schoolwork\u2014 basically a means for the youth to stay out of trouble. <\/p>\n
If a disaster hits the island, the center, which also does double duty as an evacuation center, will be able to accommodate more people, Sablan said.<\/p>\n
Because the division is under the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, the center is also used as a homeless shelter. In the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor, it was found out that the center\u2019s current space was not enough. With the expansion, it ensures that there will be a spacious shelter for Kagman individuals to run to. <\/p>\n
According to Sablan, the scope of work is due no later than Dec. 1. Once that is finalized, the renovations and expansion will begin in early 2018. <\/p>\n
In related news, the Tinian Community Center will also be renovated and expanded. According to Sablan, when the application for a grant to expand the Kagman Community Center was submitted, the division also sent applications for both Tinian and Rota centers. <\/p>\n
The division was approved a grant of $43,509.80 for the Tinian center\u2019s expansion and renovation through the CDBG program. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the application for the Rota center did not succeed but, according to Sablan, she will continue to try and apply. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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