Ben D. Johnson Educational Center

The community of West Natchitoches, Louisiana, faces a staggering 49% poverty rate, meaning almost half the residents live at or below the poverty line. While there are jobs available in Natchitoches and a willing workforce, there is a learning and certification gap between the two.

The mission of The Ben D. Johnson Educational Center (BDJ Center) is to build community in Natchitoches and give access to social and economic success for all of its residents. The BDJ Center empowers individuals to gain the workplace competencies and social-emotional skills proven to be vital in achieving economic autonomy. The organization achieves this through its Legacy Workforce Development Program (LWDP) and Industrial Readiness Training (IRT) program which provide training and certification courses covering foundational job skills, digital and financial literacy, effective communication strategies, and industry-based certifications like OSHA-10, Power Industrial Truck, Material Handling, and ServSafe Food Handler Certifications. Participants gain competencies and skills through the courses taught curriculum, a mixture of presentations delivered by guest speakers, and a range of activities in simulated work settings (i.e. mock interviews). Additionally, program participants receive case management services by the BDJ Center’s on-staff Case Manager. These services focus on creating stability for the participant in their professional and personal life. The case manager helps identify and then eliminate participant's barriers to employment, like child care, transportation, untreated mental health needs, and even document recovery, like IDs and birth certificates. Finally, the BDJ Center relies on its comprehensive, ever-growing, local network of Referral, Resource, and Employer partners to strengthen participant’s networks, help them obtain social services and/or employment, and get Natchitoches residents who could benefit from the program through our doors. 

The BDJ Center believes success for the participants can only be had when they are supported by a network of care, addressing not just their employment, but all the other life factors that contribute towards an individual’s financial and employment stability. The certifications increase LWDP graduates’ employability and offer them the opportunity to earn a higher starting pay. This, paired with the network of social and supportive service organizations the BDJ Center has added to its network , creates a strong foundation for participants to achieve economic and personal stability. The organization has put a concerted effort into establishing relationships with a wide, diverse network of community partners, categorized in 3 separate groups: 

Referral partners, including the city court, the local housing authority, and the Natchitoches Parish School Board, recruit and refer the disconnected youth and individuals that come through their doors to the LWDP. 

Resource partners, like Forever Wellness and the Office of Community Services, provide a variety of supportive services to help disconnected youth identify and navigate their barriers to employment. Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) of Natchitoches provides on-site, specialized instructors for the IBC, HiSET, and adult education courses, in addition to tuition support for participants.  

Employer partners, which include Protemp Staffing Agency, Legacy Café, Rhodes Properties & Development, Re-Entry Solutions, and the Breadhouse, among others, collaborate with the BDJ Center in a variety of ways: hosting program graduates for on-the-job training experiences, attending the interview fair hosted after each LWDP cohort graduation, and/or hiring on graduates as employees. 

The BDJ Center understands and deeply values the increased impact created through collaboration between multiple partners, relying on the essential expertise of other individuals and organizations to provide the comprehensive network of care that is essential for establishing stability and success in the lives of disconnected youth and other program participants.

Join us in Transforming Lives and Building Community!