Friends of the Children

In high-poverty urban schools student retention is a major issue, often school is the last concern for these children. Now, City Year and other nonprofits have university students come to the high schools and tutor or mentor the high school kids and provide a place for them to talk, as well as other measures that help keep students in school.

Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre Foundation provides comprehensive care, protection and legal assistance to youth who suffered sexual abuse or are at risk. So far, they’ve helped reach eight convictions and have about 57 ongoing cases. The Foundation also emphasizes the importance of psychotherapy and education, empowering youth to learn about personal safety, boundaries and age-appropriate sex education in an effort to prevent reoccurring abuse.

The Hello Lagos! youth center provides a safe space for youth, particularly those experiencing teenage pregnancies, issues around sexual reproductive health, substance abuse and anything else that gets in the way of youth having a healthy lifestyle. One of the Center’s program, the young moms clinic, has led to a 20% decrease in teen pregnancy and 15% of those in the program have returned to school.

Jewish Family Services (JFS) has been delivering the Child Abuse Prevention Program to local schools for 30 years. JFS presents the program at 150 area schools, curating age-appropriate presentations for each grade level. The program covers examples of safe and appropriate touching, as well as what to do if the child finds themselves in an unsafe situation and how to tell an adult.

Project ACT provides support services to 1,000 Cleveland public school students experiencing homelessness or living with guardians other than their parents. Students are set up with a life skills coach who provides emotional and academic support to cope with traumatic life experiences. To ensure stability during COVID-19, Project ACT distributed hotspots and Chromebooks to all 1,000 children they work with. Life coach sessions transitioned to Zoom, where weekly online tutoring sessions were also hosted. Students could also receive gift cards, enrichment packets, school supplies, and hygiene items if needed.

Support and counseling from trusted volunteers empowers young women to stay in school and out of child marriage. In Nepal, the Sisters for Sisters program was the result of a governmental effort to reduce child marriages. Volunteers, many of whom were child brides themselves, help fight stigma and cultural pressures by leading discussions with young women on topics like sexual health and life choices.

Oregon schools are leveraging the power of relationships to improve attendance and graduation rates for Pacific Islander and Black students. Community resource specialists step in to get students to school, doctor's appointments, family funerals, and more: “I’m honestly not doing anything special. I hate to say that, there’s no science around what I’m doing. It’s just trust and building a relationship and giving them the time."

In East Oakland, teens experience random violence, a lack of healthy food, and other sources of chronic stress. The consequences can be grave. At one school, the dropout rate is one in two. Learning to be resilient helps teens survive and even thrive. Multiple efforts are helping East Oakland teens to build this skill, including by connecting them with role models and mentors.

A collaboration between Ohio's Wooster City Schools and the College of Wooster has allowed for an enhanced educational experience for many students during the coronavirus pandemic. The partnership not only provides tutoring services to the K-12 students but has also "strengthened the bond between the college and its surrounding community."

How does one Albuquerque organization address social isolation among senior citizens? It recruits teens to teach technologies 101. Teeniors creates intergenerational relationships by encouraging teens to spend time with seniors and teach them how to adequately use technology like smart phones or computer applications.