A Collective Responsibility, A Collective Work: Supporting the Path to Positive Life Outcomes for Youth in Economically Distressed Communities

This report highlights the systemic risks that youth in distressed communities face, linking high child poverty rates and low high school graduation rates to high rates of violent crime, teen pregnancy, teen unemployment, and sub-par school performance. The authors call for structuring support programs and resources in a broad continuum from middle school through high school and beyond to enable healthy, well-rounded development.