Youth Strategies

 

The North Texas Area United Way is committed to funding programs and investing resources in changing systems and funding programs that contribute to the following outcomes:

• Increase high school graduation rate
• Increase in youth pursuing post secondary education
• Increase in healthy behaviors (e.g. percentage of students who report not using alcohol; decrease in teen birth rate)
• Increase in social competence (related to empathy, self-confidence, self-esteem, acceptance of diversity, positive values, and peer pressure resistance)
• Decrease in juvenile crime rate

Why are we focusing on improving graduation rates in the North Texas Area?

• A study recently released by Texas A & M University shows that in the state of Texas, the class of 2012 will lose up to 22% of its students.
• Students who drop out of the class of 2012, will cost the state $9.6 billion over the course of their life.
• 67% of Texas families and 87% percent of Wichita County families who have children under the age of 18 have all parents in the work force. Due to this factor, combined with a lack of availability for afterschool programs, approximately 24% of school-age children in the state of Texas have no adult supervision after school.

What are our strategies?

 

Direct Impact Through Programs:

• Offers after-school programs to youth that provide a safe and productive environment with academic and behavioral program components.

Why are we focusing on after-school programs?

• Research shows that children without adult supervision are at significantly greater risk of truancy from school, stress, receiving poor grades, risk-taking behavior and substance abuse .
• Out-of-school time programs can provide youth not only a safe and supportive environment, but also opportunities to prepare for a successful career, improve grades, develop relationships with caring adults, and practice skills such as conflict resolution.
• Research has found that youth who participate in these programs improve significantly in three major areas: feelings and attitudes, indicators of behavioral adjustment, and school performance. More specifically, after-school programs succeeded in improving youths’ feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem, school bonding, positive social behaviors, school grades and achievement test scores. They also reduced problem behaviors and drug use. Those students who were engaged with a program more frequently and over a longer period of time experienced better outcomes than those students who attended the program more infrequently. 6
• In-School programs that focus on at-risk youth
• Weekly evening and weekend programs that offer at-risk youth a safe, nurturing environment where they can build self-confidence and decrease delinquent behavior.

Indirect Impact Through Changing Systems

The United Way is working with community experts and key stakeholders to establish a standard of quality for after-school programs and to address the barriers in increasing the quality of after-school

care so that educational and behavior outcomes are improved. The United Way is also working with community partners to collaborate on program delivery and enhance services for youth.

 

>> The Early Development Instrument (EDI)

>> Race for the Stars

>> The Imagination Library

>> Community Impact Council