1.1: Youth
Ensuring a Brighter Future for All of America’s Youth Other Information:
Summary: Youth need support from caring adults in their families, schools, and communities. In particular, youth who grow
up in severely distressed communities characterized by high poverty rates, high crime rates, early experimentation with drugs
and alcohol, and promiscuous behavior are more likely to be at risk of school failure, unemployment, criminal behavior, and
persistent poverty. Not only can youth benefit from services such as mentoring, but they also have much to offer their communities
as volunteers and service participants. The Corporation will continue to support children in need by providing opportunities
for both more youth to benefit from services received, and for more youth to serve others. Detailed Narrative: America is
known as the “land of opportunity”— where anything is possible regardless of heritage, background or status. This “American
dream” is the hallmark of our society and an inspiration to our citizens and the world. America’s youth have enormous potential
to succeed, yet far too many youth do not have the consistent, positive presence of an adult in their lives to help them transition
to adulthood. Unfortunately, for some of the most vulnerable, yet promising of our nation’s population—our youth—the prospect
of achieving the American dream seems insurmountable. Today’s youth face increasing challenges to becoming productive adults
capable of earning a sustainable wage, supporting a family and positively contributing to their communities. Some will turn
to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, promiscuity, violence and other risky behaviors. For instance, children who grow up in disadvantaged
circumstances are more likely to be at risk of school failure, entry into the juvenile justice system, persistent poverty,
and entry into foster care.8 If we work together— through faith-based, community, state, national, and local groups, we can
provide our children and youth the opportunity to succeed and ensure a brighter future for all. Many American children and
youth need additional support. Youth living in rural and distressed communities face tremendous challenges, making positive
youth development difficult. More than 35 percent of fourth graders and at least 25 percent of eighth graders cannot read
at grade level. Approximately 15 percent of American children are living below the poverty level and almost 30 percent of
children under age 18 are living in single parent or no parent homes. In 1960, less than 10 million children were not living
with their fathers. Today, that number has increased to 25 million. Children and youth in at-risk environments are particularly
susceptible to negative role models and behavior, and thus, have special challenges to overcome to reach their full potential.
Among at-risk factors include:9 Neighborhoods with high poverty rates; Below-grade level performance in school; Teen pregnancy
Time spent in the juvenile system or in foster care; Mental and/or physical disabilities; and Incarcerated parent(s). The
Corporation, and many communities, schools and nonprofits around the country are poised to make a significant positive impact.
After the release of the Final Report from the White House Task Force on Disadvantaged Youth in October 2003, the Bush Administration
has strongly advocated for collaboration among Federal agencies that affect the lives of youth in at-risk and disadvantaged
environments. The report strongly encouraged agencies to respond to the policy of supporting all youth in becoming highly
engaged and successful participants in education and civic life. We will leverage our national service resources to develop
meaningful partnerships with our federal, state, and community youth service partners. We will also help advance First Lady
Laura Bush’s national priority of empowering youth, through which she highlights the need to reconnect youth with their families,
schools, and communities. Our goal is to improve the lives of youth by providing meaningful opportunities to serve and by
meeting their most pressing needs, whether academic, environmental, health-related, or social. The Corporation will meet the
needs of our nation’s youth by: Recruiting and supporting mentors for youth (with special attention towards children of incarcerated
parents); Engaging youth in at-risk and disadvantaged environments in meaningful service experiences; and Developing community
volunteering to strengthen positive youth connections with family, schools, and community (including faith-based institutions).
As we have done for many years, we will continue to engage youth in national service and volunteering, as well as continue
to provide youth as service recipients necessary mentoring, tutoring, and service-learning opportunities. The Corporation
will continue to emphasize the importance of connecting youth with adults who can support their academic and emotional development.
Such healthy relationships can provide youth with valuable life-lessons that can prove useful to them even as they become
adults, perhaps even motivating the youth to themselves begin or continue serving others. Young people need relationships
with caring adults to assist them in their successful transition to adulthood. Connections between youth and their families,
schools, and communities (including faith-based organizations) create a strong social construct that enables youth to make
positive choices. The Corporation will help to strengthen these positive connections for youth by generating volunteers and
building community capacity to engage, train, and manage volunteer mentors. Children of prisoners are particularly in need
of positive role models. To address this need, we will mentor and serve 100,000 children of prisoners, in support of the President’s
initiative. Parents and families are the first and most important influence in a child’s life, providing a system of love
and support. We acknowledge and will seek to strengthen and reinforce parental engagement in youth development. While it is
essential that our nation ensure all youth receive the services that will support their positive transition into adulthood,
it is also important to appreciate the powerful benefits that youth engaged in service can provide their communities and our
nation. Over the next five years, the Corporation will engage over three million youth from at-risk environments in national
community service. These opportunities—to become involved in meaningful volunteer and service activities—enable youth to experience
the joy and satisfaction of laying aside their own needs to meet the needs of others. Such lessons are irreplaceable and help
to instill the spirit and value of community, which contributes to their sense of civic responsibility as adults. Retired
General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and founder of the America’s Promise Alliance, supported the idea of infusing
service into the learning process when he said, “[W]e ought to push our youngsters. . . so that they see that service is an
important part of being an American citizen.” Engaging youth in meaningful service has also proven to be a powerful way to
help young people improve their academic and social behaviors while increasing their confidence. For example, Alex San Pedro,
who at age 18 was a troubled teen admittedly “on the road to nowhere”, is now 26-years-old and studying art at Lane Community
College. He no longer plans to die young. He became a literacy tutor for youth in at-risk and disadvantaged environments through
AmeriCorps. He says, “I saw in those kids’ eyes that they were so happy to see me. . . That just made me feel like, hey, maybe
I do have something to give. Maybe I should do something more.”10 Without meaningful and coordinated intervention, a large
population of American children (particularly children of incarcerated parents, children in foster 17care, and children reading
below grade level) will face increasingly insurmountable obstacles to becoming productive adults who are capable of maintaining
employment, earning a sustainable wage, supporting a family, and positively contributing to their communities. However, we
will work with our partners to engage the nation’s youngest citizens in meaningful service opportunities that help to provide
the necessary tools for America’s youth to experience the American dream. NATIONAL TARGETS FOR 2010: Provide mentoring services
to 3 million additional children and youth in at-risk environments, up from 2.5 million in 2002 Provide mentoring and other
support and services to 200,000 children of prisoners Engage over 3 million children and youth in at-risk environments in
service CORPORATION TARGETS FOR 2010: Provide mentoring and other support and services to 100,000 children of prisoners Engage
2.2 million children and youth in at-risk environments in national service through Corporation-sponsored programs
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