A Note From Our Executive Director: Kids Need Us Now More Than Ever
COVID has changed everything - most notably for us, how we serve our kids and provide the programs they need to become financially independent and career-ready adults. At Youthentity, we believe that the only way is forward, and have made the decision to hold our annual Pig Roast Fundraiser in a virtual format. Read more about this decision, and how we hope to support our kids through this important annual event.
In recent conversations with teachers, donors, volunteers and community members, we hear a common thread: current circumstances have us all feeling slightly stalled out. While we continue to put great care into keeping our families, friends and communities safe, uncertainly reigns. One thing that hasn't changed is the need for communities to become more financially literate, and for our youth to be ready for and pursue meaningful careers that tap into their hearts and interests backed by financial planning.
To that end, all of our personal financial literacy programming for 5th and 8th graders is now available on-line. Our own Stephanie Stahle, Financial Literacy Enterprise Director, collaborated with teachers to develop an on-line curriculum that teachers share with their students. Students still have the opportunity to earn up to $15 each for a perfect test score at the end of the program. The program can reach as many as 2,000 students by June 1st.
Our Career Academy high school students were already enrolled in Youthentity University, an on-line learning platform. With schools closing in mid-March, we were able to immediately pivot to 100% on-line learning. In addition, each week the Hospitality students participate in a Zoom meeting with their coaches Matt Maier and myself. What I think will be a 10 minute meeting easily goes 60 - 90 minutes. We talk, laugh, sometimes cry, encourage, and listen to each other's hopes and fears during this unprecedented time. Our Career Academies are not just about education but about mentoring relationships and professional friendships.
As a Youthentity supporter you know that our annual Pig Roast fundraiser is scheduled for June 26th. The Pig Roast is our largest fundraiser of the year and provides 23% of our operational budget; last year we raised $162,500 for youth development programs. Another way to look at it is without the Pig Roast, almost 1000 students would go unserved. Concerns around COVID and social distancing will prevent us from gathering in person, but we will stay the course of our mission: to provide our community's youth with the financial education and career development opportunities necessary to become resilient and successful adults.
We hope you'll join us for a virtual Pig Roast on June 24th - 26th. We're very excited to share details early next week, and thank you in advance for helping to grow the youth in our community.
-Kirsten