The Youth Connection

The Youth Connection Career Academies provides youth ages 14-21 an opportunity to understand the duties and tasks necessary for success in various careers through its partnership with Detroit Public Schools and its Career Pathways and Internship programs. As part of this year-round program, youth work under the direction of highly-skilled supervisors and mentors in each field. This program is a terrific way for students to understand the real world of careers and it encourages continuing education and positive behavior amongst youth while promoting civic commitment and giving back to the community. In addition, youth receive life-skills training and information in areas such as health, nutrition, substance abuse, leadership, etiquette, conflict resolution, public speaking and more.

The Youth Connection also works to promote participation in after-school programs for all school-aged students. We know that communities that have 50% of their youth involved in after-school programs are five times more likely to be healthier communities. By hosting our annual after-school/back-to-school enrollment fair and working with over 1,000 after-school provider partners, we have increased participation in Detroit after-school programs from 20% to over 50% in the past few years.

The Youth Connection focuses on data and best practices. The Youth Connection has the only community based tracking system that ties participation in after-school programs to specific outcomes including school data (i.e. national Terra Nova math and reading scores), attendance, grade point average, and student code of conduct violations. Expanding our data and information system will help improve quality programming and demonstrate how after-school opportunities can improve academic performance of students.