Recent data shows that nearly nine out of 10 homeless youth in the United States leave school without a diploma – a setback that greatly increases their risk of experiencing homelessness as adults. A new program serving schools in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky is working to change that trajectory.
UpSpring, a regional nonprofit focused on the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness, has launched Pathways to Success, a school-based initiative designed to help middle and high school students graduate and prepare for life beyond the classroom. Students will receive academic support alongside career exploration, college readiness coaching and trauma-informed care.
The program reflects UpSpring’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan and its role as a United Way of Greater Cincinnati funded partner. Leaders say Pathways to Success not only helps students finish school, but also provides direction – whether that means college, training or a career.
“We are proud to add this program to our services for students experiencing homelessness,” said Melissa Adamchik, UpSpring’s executive director. “It addresses a critical gap, ensuring students enter adulthood set up for success, no matter which path they choose.”
Creating opportunities for every student
UpSpring has worked since 1998 to provide children experiencing homelessness with after-school, summer and enrichment programs that bring stability and consistency. Pathways to Success builds on that mission by targeting the middle and high school years, when students begin making decisions that shape their future.
The urgency is clear.
As of 2023, national studies showed 87% of homeless youth drop out of school before earning a diploma, according to the organization Homeless Youth Connection. And data from SchoolHouse Connection indicates that those without a diploma are more than four and a half times as likely to experience homelessness later in life.
Pathways to Success aims to give local students a different outcome – one built on stability, opportunity and hope.
To create the program curriculum, UpSpring partnered with Learning Grove’s NaviGo, a Northern Kentucky-based program known for college and career readiness coaching. Learning Grove also provides early childhood education, after-school care and youth development services throughout the region.
Pathways to Success is starting as a pilot this fall at Dayton High School in Dayton, Ky.; Newport High School in Newport, Ky.; St. Bernard-Elmwood Place Jr./Sr. High School in Hamilton County; and West Clermont Middle School in Clermont County.
“When two organizations that have walked alongside Greater Cincinnati families for decades come together, we multiply our impact tenfold,” said Shannon Starkey-Taylor, Learning Grove’s chief executive officer. “Learning Grove’s NaviGo Prep and UpSpring each meet critical needs, and together, we can help even more students see a future beyond high school.”
It takes a village
The initiative has also received backing by community partners. Beyond educational partners, Pathways to Success is benefitting from inaugural sponsor Perfetti Van Melle, the global candy manufacturer that has its U.S. headquarters in Erlanger, Kentucky.
Sylvia Buxton, president and CEO of Perfetti Van Melle Americas, described the financial investment as a way to help “shape (students’) future with confidence and purpose.”
Financial terms of the sponsorship weren’t released.
“By investing in these students, we are investing in the future of our communities and the next generation of leaders,” Buxton said.
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