Partnership opens doors for DC youth

How do you motivate young people ages 16 to 24 who are not in school or working to pursue postsecondary education? These young people make up more than 12 percent, or almost 5 million, of the youth population in the United States. Their obstacles to obtaining higher education and employment limit their earning potential and economic prospects.

In Washington, DC, FHI 360 built a robust community of practitioners within Raise DC, a multisector partnership to improve education outcomes, to engage the District’s youth and to do whatever it takes to help them obtain postsecondary degrees. Never before had the District’s higher education institutions and community-based organizations come together to promote college attainment for disconnected youth — by joining forces to exchange ideas, focus on positive outcomes and support young people’s postsecondary success.

The community of practice successfully pooled resources and identified joint solutions to better serve young people. They connected nontraditional students to information and resources by developing materials on how to maneuver the complicated college admissions and financial aid process and how to select college courses — filling a critical gap. And, they expanded the number of higher education program slots reserved for students from Raise DC partners. The District’s students now have a greater chance to pursue the dream of higher education.