Research reveals positive long-term impact of youth development program

Young people who grow up in low-income communities and leave high school without a diploma are often unemployed and may feel depressed about their future.

Yet in a new study, Brandeis researchers revealed that unemployed, undereducated youth who completed YouthBuild - a youth and community development program - became optimistic about their future prospects and were doing well by many measures.

In the United States there are 2.4 million 16 to 24 year-old low-income youth out of school and out of work. Often labeled disconnected youth, this population is at risk of long-term dependency, unemployment, homelessness or other serious problems.

"What struck me about these YouthBuild graduates was how much hope they had for the future now as compared to when they first entered the program," said Andrew Hahn, professor and a founder of The Center for Youth and Communities at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management. "This study shows that with the right support, young people can overcome amazing obstacles and become fully contributing members of their communities. It also shows the critical importance of strengthening programs by listening to the young people who have completed them, as they are the real experts."

The Brandeis team along with researchers at Temple University surveyed 900 graduates of YouthBuild, a program that provides young people ages 16 to 24 with the opportunity to work toward their GED or high school diploma while learning job skills through building affordable homes for low-income and homeless people in their communities. Funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program creates a small supportive learning community with a positive peer group.

The two-pronged national research project Life after YouthBuild: 900 Graduates Reflect on Their Lives, Dreams and Experiences, examines the long-term successes and challenges of YouthBuild graduates. The Brandeis researchers conducted 900 surveys from more than 60 local YouthBuild programs, while the Temple team conducted in-depth interviews with a cross section of 57 randomly selected graduates from eight local programs. Key findings from the surveys include:

65 percent of graduates believe they will live an average of 32 years longer than they expected to live before joining YouthBuild 75 percent are currently either in post-secondary education or in jobs averaging $10 per hour 26 percent went to college 76 percent are receiving none of three government supports (food stamps, welfare or unemployment benefits).