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FISCAL YEAR 2020 ANNUAL REPORT Trading Violence and Poverty for Social and Economic Success 20 YEARS OF BREAKING BARRIERS TO YOUTH SUCCESS MISSION & VALUES UTEC’s mission and promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disconnected young people to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. Today we serve Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill, Massachusetts and are nationally recognized as a model agency serving justice-involved young adults. We are a family. UTEC is a catalyst. We assume goodness behind We think big about what we can everyone’s actions. We show madd achieve. We continually chip away, love, unconditionally accepting demonstrating relentlessness in each person. We offer everyone our pursuit of positive change. a clean slate, never giving up. We plant seeds of peace and We carry out respectful curiosity, cultivate trust. We see beyond always seeking out moments to the mask, knowing there’s always connect. We are sponges, actively more beneath the surface. We seeking feedback. We embody ignite social justice. And we spark contagious passion in all we do. sustainability. UTECINC.ORG 3 WHO WE ARE Our Young Adults Participants Our Community In FY20, UTEC served 168 young adults in our intensive enrollment Our bold goal is to provide a program, and over 600 young 168 20.7 adults through Streetworker pathway for all proven-risk young Young Adults Average Age at Intake adults in the Merrimack Valley outreach UTEC believes that poverty and prejudice are the Risk Factors Demographics primary forces that propel our young people to join “We’re human beings like gangs and engage in other risky and destructive Of our young adults, 91% had one or more Of our young adults, 78% are male and 22% are female. everyone else. We came here behaviors. Our wraparound program is designed to of these risk factors at intake and 64% had Enrolled young adults are from Lowell (65%), Lawrence (14%) three or more. and, Haverhill (14%). for help and encouragement.” build trusting relationships that never give up on young adults as they overcome personal, health, JOSE and institutional barriers to improving their lives. 54% 89% 75% criminal record gang involvement REDUCE RECIDIVISM 16% 14% of UTEC participants avoided 9% 8% arrest compared to the state 70% 36% 81% average of 49% without high school parent and/or Latino/a Multi- White Black Asian credentials expecting Racial 4 UTECINC.ORG 5 WHAT WE DO Streetworker Outreach and Peacemaking Streetworkers chip away at OUR THEORY OF CHANGE building trusting relationships with young adults in the streets Young adults ages 17-25 are the highest and correctional facilities risk, highest cost segment of the Massachusetts criminal justice system. Outreach UTEC’s Streetworkers meet young adults “where they’re at.” They chip away at building relationships Of this population, 52% will rearraigned with proven-risk young adults by providing personal within a year, and over 3 years, the and practical supports. recidivism rate rises up to 76%. Inreach Streetworkers go behind the walls of the jails, visiting young adults at least 3-6 months prior Our hypothesis states that if young to their release from state and county facilities. adults with serious gang or criminal On release day, Streetworkers pick up the young adults, take them for their first meal, and support involvement are productively engaged them in their transition back into the community. in UTEC activities and supports for an Gang Peacemaking “This is what success extended period during the critical ages looks like.” The recruitment and relationship-building work sets the stage for Streetworkers to plant seeds of of 17-25, they will have the skills and GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER peace, conducting peacemaking work with leaders resilience they need to achieve social of local rival gangs. Streetworkers spread our belief that violence is not normal and have developed a and economic success. structured peacemaking process including Peace Trips, Peace Circles, and Peace Summits. UTEC’s unique insight is our long- term commitment that extends across multiple years, chances, and pathways. PEOPLE SERVED young adults served through Streetworker outreach and >600 inreach programs. (FY20) 6 UTECINC.ORG 7 WHAT WE DO Blended Education On-site preparation for a high school credential As part of their participation in UTEC, young adults who do not have a high school degree can participate in classes to prepare them to take their HiSET (the high school equivalency exam). They are sponges, actively seeking knowledge and feedback. Small learning classes create trusting relationships where students feed off of teachers’ contagious passion. The curriculum uses a project-based learning framework and integrates social justice learning WHAT WE DO to encourage student engagement and emphasize the connection of these subjects to igniting social Transitional Coaches justice in their everyday lives. Show madd love as we mentor INCREASE EDUCATION young adults of UTEC participants Once enrolled, young adults are paired with a attempted and passed at Transitional Coach (TC), who serves as their 78% least one HiSET subject test primary support person. TCs build trusting relationships by seeing beyond the mask into the “When I first got out of jail, whole person and assuming goodness behind I had no car, no good job, every action. By providing wraparound supports no apartment, no good work to the young adults they work with, TCs help participants overcome barriers, set goals, and ethic—and now I have create work plans to accomplish those goals. all those things.” Madd Love in Action JAMES UTEC Graduate • Connect young adults to substance abuse/ mental health counseling • Provide wraparound supports based on young adults' goals and needs • Coordinate with other program staff for consistency in support • Provide 24/7 crisis intervention services 8 UTECINC.ORG 9 WHAT WE DO Workforce Development via Social Enterprises We give young adults a clean slate again and again to gain work experience and develop essential job and life skills Mattress Recycling Every young adult starts in our mattress recycling facility where they are provided a job and build employment readiness skills like punctuality, consistency, and problem solving. They spark sustainability by diverting over 20,000* mattresses from the waste system (*FY20). Woodworking Young adults think big by building high quality products from salvaged wood while learning how to take initiative, meet big deadlines, and skills that can be applied to other manufacturing trades. In December 2019, we signed a lease on the historic “Tower” building in downtown Lowell, which will allow us to expand our woodworking capabilities in this larger space to accommodate manufacturing, product finishing, and storage needs. Food Services UTEC Food services program offers young adults broad skills across catering, food manufacturing, and Café UTEC while learning customer service and management skills. Triple Bottom Line IMPROVE EMPLOYABILITY • Facilitate positive youth development through of UTEC participants paid work experiences received an industry 63% recognized certification • Generate earned revenue to support our mission • Support our communities' economic development 10 UTECINC.ORG 11 WHAT WE DO Organizing and Policymaking Ignite social justice from the streets to the State House UTEC’s team embodies contagious passion for systemic change as they help young adults develop concrete skills through campaign planning: research, persuasive writing, project management, event planning, public speaking, and leadership. Thanks to the advocacy of our young adults, additional expungement legislation was included in the recently passed Racial Justice and Policing Bill. We hosted our bACkfirstTO SChOOL? ever candidateMARy TRUMP forums forAMERICA CityEAST Expertssay Tell-all book Conference millions won’t by president’s pulls plug on Council candidates in all three communities we MOSTLY be returning niecebreaks fall season SUNNY High: 92 in the fall sales record amid crisis Low: 67 nation »5A daily dish »14A Sports »9A serve, which live on our website utecvotes.org. »PAgE 2A Teens Leading The Way (TLTW) WHAT WE DO Young adults haveT theHE option to igniteS socialUN justice “The support from UTEC is Saturday, July 18, 2020 $2.00faCeBook.CoM/lowellSun twitteR.CoM/lowellSunnewS lowellsun com by participatingLOWELL’S ROURkE bRIdgE in Teens Leading The Way (TLTW). incredible, especially for my TLTW engages young people in research and daughter. She has learned Two Generations training$100M for real-worldea policyrmark worked andfo empowersrnew span Senate OKsbond billfor construction of a lot—she has improved her them topermane executent link over grassrootsMerrimackRiver campaigns. the Senate version will prevail in A whole family approach by nicole deFeudis conference.” knowledge, attitude, and [email protected] “By providing bond authoriza- LOWELL » Apermanent Rourke tion to constructthe four-lane Bridgemay —finally —bein permanent bridgeatanestimat- Lowell’sfuture. ed costof$100million, we will to youth work ATransportation Bond Bill guaranteethatthe construction social skills. She has become passed on Thursdaybythe state moneywill be available as soon Senate includes $100 million for as the alignment and design the construction of anew four- study is completed in 2022,” lane RourkeBridgetoreplace Kennedy said in anewsrelease. the temporaryone builtin1983. Thecurrent bridgehonors for- a bright little girl.” Thebill will pass