Reaching out to Youth
When they win, we all win
Think of the adult that most influenced your own success. Now, imagine how you might have turned out without their help. Today, 52% of Massachusetts young people say they don’t have an adult outside of their family that they can discuss a problem with. That’s why United Way is calling on the community to be there for youth to create a continuum of support, safety and opportunity so that youth will stay in school and graduate with options for the future. United with others, we’re nurturing a new generation of involved, responsible citizens.
Our Goal:
Inspire youth to stay in school, keep safe, and realize positive options for the future
Our Challenge:In 2006-2007, 11,436 Massachusetts high school students dropped out. Our challenge is to keep these youth on track. Countless research studies point to the importance of adult (parents, teachers, mentors) relationships as a key predictor of youths’ success. Yet, many youth don’t have this blanket of support. In fact, more than 5,000 Massachusetts young people are currently waiting to be matched with a mentor.
Our Approach: United Way connects the efforts of families, volunteers, school personnel and out-of-school program staff to create community solutions that support youth at all times We work to ensure the important adults in a youth’s life have the skills they needto keep youth engaged in learning and feeling good about the future, so they will succeed in school and in life.
Our Strategy:
- Increase the number of at-risk youth participating in high quality out-of-school programs.
- Train and support adult staff to fully engage youth in programs.
- Connect programs, state agency systems, and families to work together to support and track youth’s success.
