Editing National Child Labor Committee (section)

==Promoting vocational skills and workplace education==

After WWII, the National Child Labor Committee significantly broadened its scope of involvement by placing a new emphasis on the importance of educating children about the working world as well as advocating programs designed to advance the education and health of migrant farmworkers throughout America. Today the NCLC's four main goals include:<ref name="About NCLC"/>
* Educating children about the world of work
* Preventing the exploitation of children and youth in the labor market
* Improving the health and education opportunities for the children of the migrant farmworkers
* Increasing public awareness of the work done day-in and day-out on behalf of the nation's children

During the 1950s and 60s the NCLC advocated and contributed to the various bills including the [[Manpower Development and Training Act]], the [[Economic Opportunity Act]] and the Vocational Education Act.<ref name="History of NCLC"/>

In 1979 NCLC collaborated with the [[Opportunities Industrialization Center]]s of America to found the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC). The NYEC was formed in order to provide support to organizations that help youth become productive private citizens. The NCLC provided the original housing for the NYEC and shared an Executive Director from 1983-1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyec.org/page.cfm?pageID=173|title=NYEC History|access-date=2008-11-25|publisher=National Youth Employment Coalition|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090119053114/http://www.nyec.org/page.cfm?pageID=173|archive-date=2009-01-19|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1985 the NCLC introduced the Lewis Hine Awards for Service to Children and Youth, which honor unheralded Americans for their work with young people, and give special awards to better-known leaders for their extraordinary efforts. Over the past two decades the awards have developed into an annual event of national notoriety with awards given out to a diverse range of professionals and volunteers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalchildlabor.org/lewishine.html|title=Lewis Hine Awards|access-date=2008-11-25|publisher=National Child Labor Committee|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917220729/http://www.nationalchildlabor.org/lewishine.html|archive-date=September 17, 2008}}</ref> Some past recipients include Gene Bowen of [[Warwick, New York]], in 2008 who co-founded Road Recovery, a clinically acclaimed skills program designed for teens recovering from drug addiction<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrecovery.org/|title=Who are we?|access-date=2008-11-25|publisher=Road Recovery}}</ref> and Stacy Maciuk of [[Brentwood, Tennessee]] in 2007 for her relentless advocacy of kids in foster care and organizing a suitcase collection drive to provide foster children with a place to pack their clothes and possessions other than a garbage bag.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalchildlabor.org/hine_2007_maciuk.html|title=Volunteer Stacy Schumaker Maciuk|access-date=2008-11-25|publisher=National Child Labor Committee|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821103804/http://www.nationalchildlabor.org/hine_2007_maciuk.html|archive-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref>

From 1991 to today, the National Child Labor Committee created and expanded the Kids and the Power of Work (KAPOW) program. KAPOW exists as a network of private business and elementary school partnerships which introduces students to the world of work through lessons taught by private sector volunteers. Today, KAPOW serves as a model for similar programs, runs operations in over thirty communities from Florida to California, and serves over 50,000 students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kapow.org/|title=Kids and the Power of Work KAPOW|access-date=2008-11-25|publisher=National Child Labor Committee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026083850/http://www.kapow.org/|archive-date=2008-10-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>