Event: On the Road to Adulthood

Audio Recording

Read the full report here.

Panelists:

• Olivia Golden, institute fellow, Urban Institute; former director, Child and Family Services Agency, District of Columbia (moderator)
• Angela Jones Hackley, vice president of community investment, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
• Eric Lerum, chief of staff to the deputy Mayor for Education, District of Columbia
• Deborah Shore, executive director, Sasha Bruce Youthwork

Many young people in the District of Columbia lack a high school or college diploma and are ill-prepared for a labor market that demands highly skilled workers. In response to this crisis, the District government launched a reform effort in 2007 that promises to reinvent public schools and halt the years of poor performance that have plagued the city’s education system. But school reform alone cannot address all of the complicated social, emotional, and economic conditions holding back the city’s youth. Families, nonprofit organizations, and District agencies must all be committed partners in helping young people succeed.

A new Urban Institute report includes close to 100 indicators to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state of youth in the nation’s capital. Prepared in collaboration with the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates and funded by the World Bank Group’s East of the River Initiative, On the Road to Adulthood, by Jennifer Comey, Eshauna Smith, and Peter Tatian, can be an important resource as government agencies, nonprofits, and the community combine
forces to address the problems that plague young people today. The report also profiles local nonprofit organizations aiding young people and presents first-person accounts of teenagers’ and young adults’ concerns.

After an overview of On the Road to Adulthood, panelists will discuss such questions as

• What are the gaps between the needs of young people and their families and the policies and programs currently in place?
• How can the city work with nonprofit organizations to create a stronger, more coherent strategy for helping young people prepare for a successful adulthood?

At the Urban Institute, 2100 M Street N.W., 5th Floor, Washington, D.C.