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 mupright@eliada.org 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)