Planning and System Building Initiatives

Below are local initiatives that offer access to information and programs that are focused on teens.


Black Ministerial Alliance High Risk Youth Network
The High Risk Youth Network includes more than 250 menbers representing 150 different organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, public agencies, volunteers, businesses and others serving high-risk youth in Boston. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the system of services for high risk youth in the City of Boston. All youth deserve to have every opportunity to grow up to live holistically healthy lives and be productive citizens.
This project is a partnership of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB), the Black Ministerial Alliance (BMA), the Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC) and the Boston Ten Point Coalition (BTPC).
http://www.bostonyouthnet.org/network/


Boston Public Schools, Office of High School Renewal
Boston’s Office of High School Renewal, in collaboration with its partner organizations and with generous financial backing from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, supports the creation of small, dynamic learning environments that promote student engagement, positive relationships among adults and students and a love of learning. We seek to assist schools in the development of skilled, motivated, independent learners who graduate with a commitment to their communities.
http://www.highschoolrenewal.org/summary.htm


Pathways to Success by 21 (P-21)
P-21 is a system reform and capacity building initiative at the state and local level established to improve educational and employment outcomes of Massachusetts’ most at-risk youth. By creating partnerships, analyzing data, and listening to our youth, we will work to facilitate the necessary transitions that will prepare our youth for adulthood.

P-21 is increasing the percentage of at-risk youth succeeding in secondary school, postsecondary education and training, and the labor market by:

  • Developing strategies to transition at-risk minority, low income, foster youth, court involved youth, and disabled youth to adulthood;
  • Identifying strategies to re-align state and local resources and programs to more effectively serve at-risk youth;
  • Creating new investments in services and strategies that serve at-risk youth from public and private sources; and,
  • Creating policies that ensure that the commitment to prepare at-risk youth for post-secondary and employment options is successfully transitioned from the youth to the adult systems.
    http://www.commcorp.org/p21/index.html

Youth Transition Task Force
On October 22, 2004, Mayor Thomas M. Menino challenged 18 community organizations and government agencies to put Boston at the forefront of a national effort to address the high school dropout crisis. With support from national foundations, this team came together to form the Boston Youth Transitions Task Force and address the issue in a strategic way.


Since December of 2004, over 30 members of partnering organizations have been meeting monthly, convened by the Boston Private Industry Council, to strategize and divide the labor for the Youth Transitions project, which falls into four categories: Quantitative Analysis, Systems Analysis, Qualitative Analysis, and Programmatic and Policy Recommendations.


In May 2006,  the Youth Transition Task Force released “Too Big To Be Seen: The Invisible Dropout Crisis in Boston and America,” which captures the first year of a two-year strategic assessment of the dropout problem in Boston, and maps out a set of recommendations for better serving Boston’s struggling students and high school dropouts. The Youth Transition Task Force is the local P21 planning group.
http://www.bostonpic.org/youth/g.htm