TechMission Corps Program: Need For Youth Programs

The US Dept of Justice (DoJ) reports that the juvenile crime rate triples during afterschool hours (1999). Quality afterschool programs offer children a safe environment where they can participate in active hands-on learning activities that are not always available during the school day. Parents have identified high quality afterschool options as a pressing need, but program offerings are limited and quality is inconsistent, especially for middle school students. The National Institute on Out of School Time reports that 80 to 85 percent of afterschool participants showed increased performance in school as a result of these programs, but only 13 percent of students participate in a program for three days or more per week.

Disparities in academic achievement for low-income youth and for Black and Latino youth are prevalent in our target areas. Census 2005 data indicates a startling 33 percent of Boston children under age eighteen live below the poverty line, and 73 percent of students in the Boston Public School system qualify for free/reduced lunch. We have found that poverty and other social pressures have created areas of need that are addressed by TMB Sites such as the need for quality afterschool programs, for academic and college readiness programs and for technology in youth programs. About 93 percent of all program participants are Black or Latino and about 80 percent are from low-income families. Our program addresses the following needs in our target areas:

Need for K-8 After-School Programs 

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and many children of color consistently achieve below the national average in math and language skills, with the gap widening as children continue through their school years. According to a report from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, “[New York] city elementary and middle school students are not learning what they need to. Only 41 percent of these students scored at an acceptable level on the citywide reading tests in 2000, while only 34 percent scored at an acceptable level on the citywide math tests.” In a sampling of 4th graders in New York, 48 percent of Black and Latino students scored poorly on the English Language Arts (ELA) exam, compared to 22 percent of white students. In Massachusetts at the elementary level, Blacks and Latinos consistently fell in the “needs improvement” and “failing” levels on the standardized tests. In grade 4, 34 percent of Black and Latino students failed the ELA and math exam compared with 14 percent of white students. In LA, 32 percent of Black and Latino 4th graders failed the ELA and math exams, compared with 10 percent of white students. That is why TMC provides academic enrichment services in afterschool programs to low-income and Black and Latino students.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning reports that “more than 7 million children in the United States are without adult supervision for some period of time after school.” A study by the Urban Institute estimated that 44 percent of the nation’s twelve-year-olds are home alone after school, and statistics show that less than 1 percent of the nation’s seventh graders are enrolled in a licensed afterschool program. In a recent survey, 87 percent of Massachusetts parents ranked “extra help after school” as the most effective way to improve academic achievement. Our TMC program helps to address this need by providing TechMission Corps Members to support afterschool programs as well as training and resources to build the capacity of Sites.

Need for Teen Programs 

Only 30% of dependent children 18-24 go on to college according to 2005 Census data for Black/Hispanic families with incomes below $20,000, demonstrating a great need to raise teen aspirations and provide guidance on getting into college. Low standardized test scores, low graduation rates and high dropout rates are serious barriers to low-income students of color in our target cities pursuing higher education. Massachusetts, New York and California students are required to pass a state standardized test in order to graduate. Because low-income students and students of color are disproportionately represented in low-performing schools, large percentages of these students are not passing these exams. According to the Department of Education, in MA in 2005, 37 percent of Black and Latino students compared with 15 percent of White students failed the ELA and Math portions of the state exam. The CA Department of Education reports the percentage of Black, Latino and White students passing both the ELA and Math portions of the test are 45 percent, 49 percent and 79 percent respectively. According to the US Dept of Ed, only about 70 percent of high school students nationwide graduate high school. In our target areas, the graduation rate is significantly lower than the national average: Chicago 52 percent, Boston 51 percent, Denver 47 percent, LA 41 percent and NYC 39 percent. The national dropout rate is around 5 percent but the rates for districts in our target cities are higher: Boston 9 percent, Chicago 11 percent, New York 21 percent and LA 25 percent. Black and Latino males represent the largest group of drop outs. TMC Members and volunteers provide academic and mentoring services, college prep workshops, standardized test prep, technology training, college placement services and SAT prep to at-risk youth. These services are designed to equip students to pass the standardized test, graduate high school and go on to college.

Need for Technology in Youth Programs and Computer Classes 

It is becoming increasingly important to integrate technology into youth programs because technology skills are becoming a prerequisite for most jobs. According to the Department of Commerce, currently 65 percent of all jobs use computers and 90 percent of all jobs use computer-related technologies. Based on correlating NTIA and census data in our areas, we estimate that only 25 to 30 percent of residents in our target areas own a computer.[1] According to a recent study[2] only 47 percent of Black and 44 percent of Latino students use the Internet, compared to 67 percent of white students. Because of this lack of access to technology, it has been increasingly difficult for disadvantaged youth and adults to gain employment or enter college, which, in turn, significantly affects their ability to live satisfying and productive lives. Our TechMission Boston program helps to address this need by providing TMB Members who provide technology activities in existing afterschool and teen programs to help equip youth with technology skills they need to succeed in school and in the workforce.

There is also a great need for training youth in online safety. A study by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showed that one in five children had received a sexual solicitation online in the past year. [3] Our TechMission Boston program addresses this need by providing training in online safety to youth at our Sites.  

We differ from other programs in that we have partnered with sustainable organizations to enhance the programs that they offer to the community. We don’t provide the after-school programs; we support existing program activities and provide technology, which is vital to the success of these participants.