Why Teens Act is Different?
Our research shows that a majority of public services currently working with under-resourced students focus on honors students and those in good academic standing, overlooking lower-achieving students. Many of those who have a low grade point average, low parental support, and low motivation to go to college often do not have an opportunity to receive aid from these public service agencies and private scholarship agencies. As a result of this unfortunate oversight, the dropout rate and crime rate among high school aged youths has been increasing. Teens Act addresses the root of the problem by targeting the bottom tier of under-resourced students.
Our goal at Teens Act is to break the cycle of generational poverty by reducing the high school dropout rate and providing underrepresented students with access to higher education. In order to target those who would benefit most, we offer our program to students who:
(1) qualify for a free or reduced lunch, or
(2) have a great need to improve a low GPA, or
(3) will be the first member of their family to obtain a post-secondary education.
To determine which students need our program most, we work with school teachers, counselors, and parents. We have also developed a risk assessment survey to determine a student's probability of failing high school and needs of participating in Teens Act programs.