National Youth Administration Memberswww.corbisimages.com

The National Youth Administration was established by executive order on June 26th, 1935 as apart of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This was one of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs.

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Eleanor Roosevelt and Aubrey Williams

The NYA was headed by Aubrey Willis Williams, a prominent liberal and social activist from Alabama

who was close to Eleanor Roosevelt.

Provided work training for unemployed youth and part-time employment for needy students.

NYA operated two programs: The Works Project Program trained unemployed out of school

youth. The Student Aid Program provided work-study training for high

school, college and graduate students.Helped develop their skills and talentsEleanor Roosevelt told the New York Times, “I live in

real terror when I think we may be losing this generation. We have got to bring these young people into the active life of the community and make them feel that they are necessary.”

gettyimages.com

Provided work training based on US citizenship and financial need to male and female youth between the ages of 16 and 25, regardless of race.

Allowed young people to continue studying while preventing the number of unemployed youth from growing. For those unemployed and not in school, it provided on the job training and marketable skills for the future.

http://www.gwu.edu

This is a poster for the Illinois branch of the National Youth Administration in 1937. It was advertising for young women to take classes for a part-time job.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/NYA_Poster_Illinois_1937

Hundreds of projects completed based on the funds, materials, and manpower particular to each state, county, or community.

Major projects included road and building construction, public service, office work, nursing, furniture and auto repair, radio operation, landscaping, blacksmithing, welding, and agriculture.

NYA also offered classes in self-improvement, health benefits, citizenship courses, and vocation guidance.

Also provided social opportunities through youth centers focusing on athletics, hobby clubs, drama clubs, games, music and dancing.

commons.wikimedia.org

Students received assistance that

enabled them to complete their education. Programs helped develop participant’s

skills and complete community projects. During its eight years of existence,

the NYA trained more than two million

under the Student Aid Program and

employed over 2.6 million youth through

its Works Projects Program. Earnings ranged from $6 to $40 per month,

which often went to the worker’s family. Annual cost to the federal government was

low--$75 per enrollee for the student program

and $225 for the out of school worker program.

www.archives.gov/

NYA flag

Since unemployment decreased and the war was approaching, many young adults that had jobs before now found themselves training for war. In 1942, all NYA activities not contributing to the war effort were dropped. Its activities finished in late 1943.

Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. Infoplease.com. Web. 02 Jan. 2010. <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0834975.html>.

JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. Web. 02 Jan. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/pss/27550133>.

"National Youth Administration (NYA)." Novelguide: Free Study Guides, Free Book Summaries, Free Book Notes, & More. Web.02 Jan. 2010. <http://novelguide.com/a/discover/egd_02/egd_02_00392.htm l>.

"NATIONAL YOUTH ADMINISTRATION." Oklahoma State University - Stillwater - Home. Web. 02 Jan. 2010.

<http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/N/NA 014.html>.

"National Youth Administration." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 02 Jan. 2010. <http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/nya.htm>.