Narrative: c. 2.

Service providers conduct extensive outreach to identify eligible out-of-school youth for enrollment. They rely on partner agency referrals and strategically place youth staff at outreach posts, such as housing authorities, immigrant welcome centers, community colleges, Job Corps centers, homeless shelters, new parent programs, programs serving homeless youth and county jails where eligible youth participants are accessing other services. Relationships with these agencies to jointly serve, co-enroll and braid resources to better serve youth, have grown significantly as a result.

Youth retention in program activities has always been a challenge with the out-of-school population, partly because of Maine’s vast geography, rurality and lack of public transportation but also because of the fleeting nature and caprice of this population. The geography makes it difficult to offer programs to cohorts of youth who can bond with each other through the experience, support their peers through challenges and share in celebrating achievements. Successful cohort approaches have the most significant outcomes, not only in terms of performance but in building personal esteem and providing opportunities for civic engagement. Cohort approaches expand opportunities for team building and life skill attainment such as understanding diversity and social justice.

The agency partnership group approach is also strongly encouraged to ensure youth complete all activities identified in their individual service plans. Involvement of system and community partners in developing and implementing the cohort experience, particularly the agencies that jointly serve youth, such as staff from homeless shelters, mental health and substance programs, mentoring programs and employers have also proven to result in greater numbers completing the program and successfully transitioning to next steps.

In rural areas where group engagement is not possible, service providers are encouraged to keep youth participants fully engaged by packaging a full-time program in which work experience, career counseling and life skills preparation, academic and occupational skill development are all occurring simultaneously. Whenever possible this approach should bring youth participants into group experiences periodically, such as attendance at workshops with other participants in their age category to understand financial literacy.

Clearly outlining goals and the steps to achieve them, then formally celebrating when steps are accomplished and outcomes achieved, keeps youth connected. Formal recognition of achievements can be in the form of public recognition through program newsletters, incentives that reward specific accomplishments, and/or ability to move onto another much needed service, such as driver education.

Collaboration and close relationships with other providers serving the youth, such as adult education, rehabilitation, and employers providing work experience sends a message to youth that the program is formal, connected and focused on their individual success.