Operation Fresh Start empowers emerging adults on a path to self-sufficiency through education, mentoring, and employment training.

10,000+

Young Adults Served

250+

Homes Built

55

Years Active

7

Programs

Participant Alum Testimonials

"Operation Fresh Start holds a high standard. It taught me the right things and instilled a strong work ethic. OFS gave me purpose and a reason to get up every morning.”

Nick

2021 Legacy Graduate, 2024 Conservation Academy Graduate

Land Restoration Specialist for Dane County Parks

Our Programs

Free, mentorship-based programs for ages 16-24

Legacy is for emerging adults ages 16-24 to earn paid, hands-on work experience in construction or conservation while earning your high school diploma.

Build Academy is for high school graduates ages 18-24 to earn paid, hands-on experience working on real residential and commercial construction sites.

Conservation Academy is for high school graduates ages 18-24 to earn paid, hands-on experience and certifications in conservation and natural resources management.

Drive is free driver's education in partnership with 4 Lakes Driver Training School for emerging adults 18-24 including assistance taking the DMV road test.

CareerPoint is for young professionals ages 18-24 to develop career readiness skills, be aligned to paid job trainings, and receive ongoing mentorship to ensure success.

Career Coaching is for emerging adults ages 17-24 to receive career counseling, including assistance with resumes, job applications, job shadows, and occupational trainings.

Options is for emerging adults ages 18-24 to receive guidance in a high school completion program and assistance earning a diploma, GED, or HSED.

Six CareerPoint Graduates Earn Early Childhood Education Credentials

The CareerPoint Early Childhood Education Cohort in front of OFS on graduation day, June, 4, 2026. Pictured: (left-right) CareerPoint Coordinator Nicole Knox, Tati, Ana, Yaya, Eddie, Miriam, Janie, and 4-C’s Early Childhood Specialist Briana Kurlinkus. Operation Fresh Start (OFS) recently celebrated six graduates of its CareerPoint Early Childhood Education cohort, a six-week training program that helps young adults build the skills, experience, and confidence needed to enter

Jun 10

More Than a House: OFS Participants Build Skills, Confidence, and Opportunity

Public Officials and OFS partners join leadership and Build Academy staff and participants in front of 1061 Kamperschroer Way in Sun Prairie. On a sunny May afternoon in Sun Prairie, Operation Fresh Start participants stood inside a home they helped build—one that represents far more than finished walls and fresh paint. The house at 1061 Kamperschroer Way in Town Hall Crossing reflects months of skill-building, persistence, and growth, showing what happens when young adults a

Jun 5

From Fires to Fishing: OFS Earth Day in Action

OFS participants testing out the hoses used to control prairie burns. Earth Day at Operation Fresh Start isn’t symbolic. It’s hands-on, technical, and grounded in real work. At CamRock County Park in Cambridge, all OFS Legacy and Conservation Academy crews spent the day, Thursday, April 30, rotating through field stations led by Dane County Parks, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Dane County Land & Water Resources Department (LWRD), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

May 8