Investments in our young people have long lasting implications for their future, and for our communities. Education, for example, is one of the leading indicators of success in a young person’s life. Youth with less than a high school education or GED face a 346 percent higher risk of experiencing homelessness than their peers. Adult prisons, meanwhile, report that among inmates, an estimated 68 percent have not received a high school diploma. In juvenile detention facilities, studies show, average reading levels consistently measure at between the first and sixth grade.
