November 2024Vol. 25, No. 9Evaluation of National Initiative to Improve Educational and Work Outcomes for Systems-Involved Young People
Youth who are involved with child welfare, juvenile justice, and related systems may not receive the same support as their peers in pursuing education and career opportunities. The national Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP) initiative from the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) works to provide that support for youth and young adults ages 14 to 25 who have experienced foster care, the juvenile justice system, or homelessness by building and expanding pathways to education and employment.
AECF published an evaluation of the initiative in June 2024. The evaluation was conducted in partnership with Equal Measure and is based on surveys from leaders at six LEAP partnerships and interviews with five LEAP national partners. The partnerships include family-serving organizations such as Covenant House Alaska, a service provider for youth who have run away or are experiencing homelessness in Alaska, and the Coalition for Responsible Community Development, a Los Angeles-based corporation that provides workforce development programming and housing for young people. The LEAP national partners are organizations that provide technical assistance and expertise to the LEAP partnerships.
The evaluation outlines the six strategies for systems change that LEAP partnerships are implementing:
- Taking a holistic approach
- Supporting youth leadership
- Partnering across public and other systems
- Advocating and implementing policy change
- Sharing learnings
- Scaling
According to the evaluation, the primary strategy being implemented is taking a holistic approach. LEAP partners embrace this approach by considering the whole person and their surroundings, including root causes of disconnection and societal barriers to education and career pathways. The evaluation outlines the following three concrete examples of holistic approaches by LEAP partnerships:
- Creating "one-stop shops" where young people can access multiple services
- Providing one-to-one case management, mentoring, and navigation for youth involved with multiple systems
- Providing or connecting youth with concrete supports including food, clothing, health services, and housing
Cross-sector partnerships are an important element of a holistic approach, as one organization may be able to provide services or supports that another is not able to provide. Another important aspect of a holistic approach is youth engagement—specifically, listening to young people and supporting youth leadership. This places youths' voices at the forefront of efforts to improve education and career access at the individual level, as well as the policy and program improvement level.
Explore the report, Centering a Holistic Approach to Expand Education and Employment Pathways for Systems-Involved Young People, for more information about how the LEAP initiative is holistically supporting youth.
