Americas Promise-The Alliance For Youth

THE WORK OF AMERICA'S PROMISE IS ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT EVERY YOUNG PERSON DESERVES TO SUCCEED AND EVERY ADULT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN. OUR WORK IS GROUNDED IN FIVE PROMISES: CARING ADULTS, SAFE PLACES, A HEALTHY START, EFFECTIVE EDUCATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS. AMERICA'S PROMISE WORKS TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY IN THE YOUTH-SUPPORTING NON-PROFIT SECTOR THROUGH OUR ANTI-RACIST ALLIANCE, TO ELEVATE YOUTH VOICE AND LEADERSHIP ACROSS ALL PROJECTS, AND TO ENGAGE AND GROW OUR NATIONWIDE ALLIANCE OF MORE THAN 400 ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

THE YES PROJECT IS A NATIONAL INITIATIVE CREATED TO SUPPORT AND GROW OUR YOUTH WORKFORCE SO THATEVERY YOUNG PERSON SEEKING A JOB CAN FIND A JOB. TO TACKLE THIS AMBITIOUS GOAL, THE YES PROJECT TEAMED UP WITH NONPROFITS, RESEARCHERS, AND EMPLOYERS AND LANDED ON THREE CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS:READY, CONNECTED, AND SUPPORTED (RCS). THE RCS FRAMEWORK IS THE BACKBONE OF THE YES PROJECT AND SERVES AS A CONSENSUS POINT FOR EVERYONE FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE THEMSELVES TO DRIVE ACTION TOWARDS INCREASING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT. IN 2020, WE HELD A VIRTUAL DISCUSSION WITH MORE THAN 20 YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEARN WHAT MAKES THEM FEEL READY, CONNECTED, AND SUPPORTED. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THESE CONVERSATIONS HELPED INFORM OUR OVERALL CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES, PARTICULARLY AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WE PARTNERED WITH GRADS OF LIFE AND FORBES.COM ON A 2020 SUMMER BLOG SERIES TO ELEVATE YOUNG PEOPLE'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO EMPLOYERS WHO WANT TO ENGAGE YOUNG AND DIVERSE TALENT DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME. WE ALSO RELEASED "FINDING A WAY FORWARD: YOUNG PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF WORK," WHICH EXAMINES QUESTIONS ABOUT WORK AND CAREERS FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF 65 YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 16-28 WHO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF FIVE EXEMPLARY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. THIS RESEARCH WAS DESIGNED TO HELP YOUTH-SUPPORTING PROGRAMS, EMPLOYERS, AND POLICYMAKERS BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL READY FOR, CONNECTED TO, AND SUPPORTED IN THE WORLD OF WORK.

GRADNATION- FOR OVER A DECADE, THE GRADNATION CAMPAIGN HAS FOCUSED THE NATION ON IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES FOR ALL STUDENTS TO REACH A 90 PERCENT GRADUATION RATE EQUITABLY BY 2020. STEADY PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, WITH 15 CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF INCREASING GRADUATION RATES AND, IN 2019, THE NATION REACHED ANOTHER ALL-TIME HIGH GRADUATION RATE OF 85.8 PERCENT. SINCE 2000, 4.5 MILLION MORE STUDENTS HAVE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL ON-TIME RATHER THAN LEAVING SCHOOL WITHOUT A DIPLOMA.

ANTI-RACIST ALLIANCE- IN 2020,AMERICA'S PROMISE ALLIANCE MADE A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH YOUTH-SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO ADDRESS INSTITUTIONAL AND SYSTEMIC RACISM WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BROADER FIELD. THE ANTI-RACIST ALLIANCE IS A GROUP OF 14 YOUTH-SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING TOGETHER SINCE 2020 TO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT A REALITY. THE ANTI-RACIST ALLIANCE HAS ESTABLISHED FOUR WORK GROUPS TO ANALYZE WHAT WE AS ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO TO STOP PERPETUATING RACISM AND STRUCTURES THAT INCLUDE WHITE SUPREMACY IN KEY AREAS: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE & NORMS, POLICY & ADVOCACY,ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES & PROGRAMMING, AND RESEARCH. OUR WORKING GROUPS SEEK TO PROVIDE ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT A MORE AFFIRMING, EQUITABLE, AND ANTI-RACIST PATH FORWARD. WE ARE A MIX OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY MADE LEADING-EDGE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN THIS WORK AND HAVE MUCH TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SECTOR, WHILE OTHERS HAVE MORE RECENTLY BEEN EXAMINING THEIR PRACTICES AND CONSIDERING CHANGES IN THEIR APPROACHES.THIS WORK WILL CULMINATE IN PUBLIC COMMITMENTS TO ACTION THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONS WILL TAKE TO EMBRACE ANTI-RACIST POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT LEAD TO BETTER ENVIRONMENTS AND OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH.

EVERY SCHOOL HEALTHY, POWER OF YOUTH CHALLENGE, HOW LEARNING HAPPENS, YOUTH VOICES, BUILDING A GRAD NATION REPORT, BUILDING IDEAS R&D, P&G PROJECT, HLH- CIVIC