Child Protection United States Project #45825

Together for Hope - COVID-19 Response for Youth

by Latin American Youth Center

Project Report | Jul 14, 2020
Closing the education gap for our future leaders

By Lupi Quinteros-Grady | LAYC President & CEO

Miner, 2020 graduate

As LAYC families continue to navigate challenges stemming from the ongoing pandemic, they are also thinking now about how they will ensure their school-age family members will be prepared for the upcoming school year, whether students will be attending school in person or virtually. This includes elementary through high school students, as well as GED and college students.

Job loss for primary income earners in many households will make it even more difficult to purchase essential school supplies to enable children to keep up with learning in the coming year. So many families are currently unable to afford rent and food, let alone the additional cost of a backpack containing basic school supplies. As schools implement distance learning this year, each student is in need of access to a laptop and internet, which is creating further barriers to learning and more financial stress.

With your help, LAYC staff can provide backpacks, school supplies, essential technology, and wraparound support so that young people can complete their schoolwork and avoid falling behind in their education.

2020 Graduate Highlight:

Before Miner heard about LAYC’s Promotor Pathway® from an existing participant, he was thinking of dropping out of high school, discouraged by a lack of support and mentoring during his education. After he joined the Promotor Pathway, staff helped Miner obtain his driving license, provided informal counseling and access to resources whenever he needed it, and helped him build his self-esteem and improve his communication skills with his parents, to better address educational and personal challenges as they arise. Prior to joining the Pathway, Miner was not interested in continuing his education after high school but he is now graduated, applying for college, and seeking support through the New Futures Scholarship program!

Your support provides hope and opportunity to thousands of youth like Miner in DC and Maryland each year.

With my heartfelt thanks,

Lupi Quinteros-Grady
President & CEO

LAYC’s Promotor Pathway® is a long-term client management intervention model for disconnected and disengaged youth facing multiple obstacles that prevent them from accessing resources and achieving educational, employment, and healthy living goals. This evidence based model allows Promotores to work on a one-on-one basis with each youth to remove barriers, proactively encourage participation in a broad set of LAYC services, and connect them to other needed resources within the community so they may make a successful transition to adulthood.

2020 graduate

Laptop distribution

Links:

LAYC May 5 COVID-19 update

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