What's Happening?
GradNation Community Youth Summit
“Keep It Real: Shaping a Community that Cares About Youth”
The Schenectady Foundation and its partners committed to the “Call to Action for Schenectady’s Youth” were selected by America’s Promise Alliance to host a GradNation Youth Summit on May 25, 2016. The Summit brought together more than 300 educators, businesses, parents, law enforcement, government, non-profit sector and community leaders and – most importantly – youths, in frank and open dialogue exploring the state of our youth in Schenectady County.
The summit, which included workshops, will focus in part on ways to boost the high school graduation rate. Schenectad
y schools chief Larry Spring and Schenectady County Community College President Steady Moono were expected to participate.
Some students don't fully realize the benefits of a high school education and how it has a direct impact of their earning potential and employment prospects.
"What we're trying to say is let's not get too theoretical about this, let's use research and data and all that, but let's make this real for the young people in the room," added Robert Carreau, Executive Director at TSF. "If we're thinking they need more caring adults in their lives, for example, or mentors, we want to know what does that mean to them." He said a major theme was "how do we shape a community that really cares about youth, and what does that look like."
"They have to know that if they get their diploma, they can go on, they don't have to necessarily go to college, they can get certification in different trades, and they can actually make a living wage, but we're not to sure many of them are aware of that," he said.
The Schenectady youth summit was one of 100 GradNation community summits held across the county as part of the GradNation campaign, led by America's Promise Alliance. The campaign focuses on raising the high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020.
