More Than Words

Need and Opportunity

Youth at MTW are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or have dropped out of school.  These subsets of the youth population face tremendous barriers to employment and there are few training programs that are designed to empower youth to develop the skills, experience and self-efficacy critical for a safe, meaningful and successful transition to adulthood.  Most youth at MTW lack family support networks and are grappling with extensive and compounding challenges associated with interrupted education, involvement with the juvenile justice system, mental illness and learning disabilities.  Most have not had the opportunity, ot the appropriate support to learn to take charge of their lives.  They are in need of an empowering life experience to help them envision, and equip themselves for, a successful, meaningful and self-sufficient adulthood.

• On an annual basis, approximately 750 youth in Massachusetts and 25,000 nationally age out of the foster care system

• A recent report released by The Boston Foundation indicates that approximately ¾ of youth aging out of foster care in MA are either unemployed or underemployed. 

• Fifty percent of transitioning youth become unemployed and face a high risk of homelessness, addiction, re-entry into the public welfare system, and adult criminal activity

• Up to 30% of youth beginning high school each year in MA will not graduate and most will not have the ability to obtain and retain employment.

• Nearly 30% of male youth leaving the foster care system end up incarcerated

Over the past five years, MTW has established itself as an innovative nonprofit model for employment training and positive youth development.  MTW empowers young people to defy their circumstances learning how teamwork, skill development and job accountability can lead to meaningful personal change.