Investing in Youth

	AT A GLANCE » Members of the after-school Photography Club at Monroe Campus High School in the Bronx shot professional-looking portraits for seniors who could not afford official senior pictures.

As kids come of age in middle school, and especially through high school, they diverge in their interests and concerns. They develop broadly different aptitudes and needs. TASC targets the most pressing needs and absorbing interests of older students through programs that help them develop to their fullest potential as students, citizens and future leaders.

Research shows that older students who participate in after-school programs improve their grades and school attendance and are more likely to graduate. Programs that involve older students in meaningful vocational, academic and recreational activities bolster their attachment to school and improve their chances of becoming successful and productive adults with the skills to thrive in a global economy.

TASC’s College PLAN program helps middle school kids and families develop a roadmap to college. City Scholars is TASC’s leadership and job preparation program for high school-aged kids who are interested in working with younger kids. It’s also a service program, and a high-energy venue for kids to meet their peers from other schools and make new friends, under the guidance of young adult staff members who enjoy the company of teens and understand their developmental needs.

By the time they reach their late teens, many New York City kids want and need to earn money. The New York Times Summer Jobs Program, supported by the New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, matches teens with community agencies who need summer staff. There’s a major teaching component to the program as well. Kids meet weekly to learn practical lessons and life skills in being responsible, developing good work habits and building resumes that reflect their achievements.

An outgrowth of Summer Jobs, the City Connection program, also supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, reaches out to kids who are trying to beat the odds that keep one out of three students in New York from graduating from high school on time. Under the guidance of adult mentors, City Connection teens work after school, during the school year, in community-based programs that serve younger kids. They are closely supervised and encouraged by individuals within the agencies where they work. They also receive training from TASC in working positively with colleagues and younger children, developing literacy skills, creating communities of respect in and out of school and investigating career possibilities. Not only do teens learn from role models, but they become role models for younger kids in after-school programs.

TASC supports three varieties of out-of-school-time programs for high school students. It supports comprehensive after-school programs within high schools that offer students opportunities to earn credits, work with professional artists and musicians to develop their talents, work out and play sports and get academic help. Teens in these programs typically can access school resources including the library, computer labs and college guidance counselors after School.

TASC supports targeted programs for smaller groups of kids within schools who share common needs or interests, including the Community Justice Project.

It also supports stand-alone programs that take place outside of schools during weekends and summer, to fit the schedules of teens who have multiple weekday responsibilities. This category includes City Scholars, City Connection and The New York Times Summer Jobs Program.