OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An innovative program for at-risk youths has won a grant that will allow it expand across Nebraska and serve a larger variety of struggling kids.

The program, Project Everlast, began in 2008 and focused primarily on children in foster care living in Omaha and Lincoln.

The statewide expansion, called the Connected Youth Initiative, will include children in the juvenile justice system and those who are homeless or are on the verge of being homeless.

Azar Webb III, who as a teenager lived in eight foster homes in four years, says he’s thankful for the support he received from Project Everlast. The 20-year-old is now preparing for classes at Metropolitan Community College.