Obama annouced yesterday his plan for community colleges. He stated that "... at the start of my administration I set a goal for America: by 2020, this nation will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world…Today, I am announcing the most significant down payment yet on reaching this goal in the next ten years. It’s called the American Graduation Initiative. It will reform and strengthen community colleges from coast to coast so that they get the resources students and schools need – and the results workers and businesses demand.

YOU Boston Featured on WBUR local radio.  Listen to audio here.

The report documents the economic ripple effect for employers and the city of Philadelphia that the dropout crisis produces. The report finds that each high school dropout costs the city of Philadelphia $580,000 along with various other eye opening statistics. Click here to view press release.

YO! Academy recently released a report on its successes from 2006 through mid-year 2009, entitled YO! Academy Progress Report, A Working Partnership. The findings include increased attendance rates and in increased participation rate in a variety of holistic services that include job readiness training and skills training as well as community service.

The Department of Labor has released an evaluation of the Youth Opportunity Grants Initiative. The program awarded grants to 36 communities to provide services for youth aged 14-21 in high poverty areas. The DOL found that the program succeeded in its goal of increasing youth opportunities. The evaluations are listed below:

The website created by the Indianapolis Private Industry Council was recently named an official honoree of the Webby Awards. The site aims at attracting young people to careers in the life sciences. The competition included websites such as Playhouse Disney, National Geographic Kids, and Club Penguin.

On May 9, 2008 the Department of Labor Office of Youth Services met with businesses, educators, representatives of the workforce investment system, intermediary organizations, and policy development and research organizations with two objectives in mind; to learn from business leaders and produce strategies for action and to develop a blueprint for action on developing youth talent.