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Excellence
by Eighteen
Summer jobs provide young people with an entry into the working world where they learn to be responsible develop marketable skills and make important contacts. Without such experiences, teens often join the chronically unemployed who strain our community's financial and social service resources. Despite the aging of the nation, South Hampton Roads is somewhat younger than the rest of the country. Currently, our youth (under the age of 18) comprises almost 16% of our population. The "Excellence by Eighteen" Youth Development and Mentorship Fund will focus on efforts to keep young people off the streets by providing alternative recreational and educational programs. This important fund will also be directed toward the most at-risk youth populations of South Hampton Roads. Access to an effective adult role model, and development of personal work and social skills necessary to compete in the marketplace, are crucial to survival of the at-risk youth group. Our youth need programs to help guide them through these years. Some examples are: school-based mentoring programs that match adults with children; the establishment of inner-city creative arts and theatre centers to help in their development of production, writing and acting skills and, ultimately, enhance communication and self-esteem; scouting programs where all aspects of youth development and mentorship, in addition to crime, drug and family violence prevention, are nurtured. Gifts to this fund will ensure continued support for cutting edge programs and enhanced opportunities for the youth of South Hampton Roads. |