FUTURE for Lompoc Youth

Chuck Madson knows a lot about the possible consequences of believing that your opportunities are limited. A Central Coast native, he spent more than a decade as an incarcerated convict, half of those before he turned 20, the result of both substance abuse and a challenging childhood.

But Madson turned his life around after he was released, becoming a certified addictions and medication treatment specialist, living in Lompoc and working for Santa Barbara County nonprofits such as Family Service Agency, Good Samaritan Services, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and the county Department of Behavioral Wellness. 

Then he had his aha moment.

“I noticed that youth right here in Lompoc were struggling with isolation and lacking social engagement even before COVID exacerbated those problems,” Madson said. “I wanted to do something to support our youth before they made those bad decisions that landed them in what I’d gone through.”

So in 2019 Madson co-founded FUTURE for Lompoc Youth, aka FLY, launching the nonprofit with De’Vika Stalling, who has more than 14 years of experience as a director at the Lompoc Boys & Girls Club, and Tim Harrington, a seasoned business consultant with strong community ties. Born from a passion to empower the next generation of Lompoc residents, FLY is dedicated to equipping local youth with the skills, resources and opportunities needed for success through fostering a supportive environment where young people can shape their futures.

The organization has an unusual modus operandi of listening to youth and tailoring its programming to their needs. FLY’s programming is shaped by the students themselves.

“The priority is that all of the ideas came from our youth,” said Madson, FUTURE for Lompoc Youth’s executive director. “Everything we do starts with their desires and needs that they share with us, not with what I think would be best for them. It’s my job to figure out a way to make it happen.”

When FLY began, a survey of local youth aged 14-21 revealed that their priorities included mentoring and other opportunities for career learning, communication skills, and better connection to local colleges. So the nonprofit put together weekly meetings to build skills, sharpen teamwork and hone trust, while interjecting the career development and civic engagement opportunities.

One notable initiative was the introduction of Allan Hancock College’s career readiness academy at Lompoc High School, marking the school’s first offering of such a program. This initiative equips students with essential workforce skills, including interview techniques and résumé writing. Beyond classroom learning, FUTURE organizes visits to colleges and Vandenberg Space Force Base, as well as tours of three major employers in town: Lompoc City, Valley Medical Center, and the Unified School District admin offices.

“At each stop, they get a presentation of all the different careers available and do a Q&A session so they have full awareness of what opportunities are available there,” Madson said.

FLY also created a mentorship program where community members make a year-long commitment to guide students, and the nonprofit also initiated “job shadowing” internships, with more in-depth exposure to possible local careers that can keep them in the community. 

“It’s about more than just exposure,” Madson said. “It’s an opportunity for students to experience the whole environment of a business like Santa Barbara County Social Services, not just sit there and observe. They learn what happens on a day-to-day basis, what it takes for an individual in the community walking in to ask for services all the way through getting services and connecting to support within social services. They learn about all the positions that make that puzzle work, every level of employment and where they might be interested in pursuing a career. We want them to be able to find something rewarding right here at home.”

FLY’s has partnered with UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center to host the California Freedom Summer program where the students focus on voter registration, civic engagement, and data research. Many FLY students have even engaged in local politics, advocating for an important school bond measure. 

“One of our groups worked on getting the local school bond measure approved – the first in 22 years and totaling nearly $200 million – because they want to give back,” Madson says. “Last November, it passed.”

Through mock interviews with local professionals, the Career Readiness and Customer Service Academies equip students with essential employability skills, résumé-building guidance, and confidence in the job-acquiring process. 

More tangible evidence of the effectiveness of FLY’s approach came via a recent survey on the social and emotional (SEL) benefits of its programs. More than 90% of the responding participants agreed that FLY improved their communication skills, increased their confidence in life skills, enhanced their adaptability and problem-solving abilities, and simply helped them grow as individuals. The academic benefits include an increase in motivation to graduate high school and pursue further studies. Programs include college visits, career tours and skill-building workshops. 

The 2024 WestEd FLY Program Survey revealed that 93% of respondents agreed that the organization’s programs eased their transition from high school to college and/or helped them gain a better understanding of workplace expectations. Additionally, 86% said FLY helped them achieve academic and career/job goals while increasing their knowledge of job opportunities in Lompoc. 

FLY is now in its fourth year providing its programming to Lompoc Unified Students, and has held six graduations and supported more than 250 students. And in a circular testament to the programs’ success just a few years in, many of the formerly disenchanted youth are already giving back directly with FLY, with several first-year members now serving as mentors for successive classes. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see our youth take advantage of the opportunities we provide,” Stalling reflects. “It shows we are meeting our goal of making sure that each one of these students we work with has a plan after graduation. And it’s not just words on a piece of paper that don’t mean anything. It’s what they come up with and own. I see more hope and benefit to those that I’m serving than I ever have before in my career.”