Youth Service Facts and Statistics

In combination with real stories of transformation, providing evidence to support the effectiveness of the YVC model is an important component of creating successful fundraising appeals. Below is an extensive list of facts and statistics you can use to create more comprehensive and credible grant proposals.

General YVC Facts • Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) was founded in Kansas City by David Battey in 1987 to address the need for high-quality community-based service opportunities for youth of all backgrounds. • Since 1987, YVC has grown to more than 30 Affiliate programs across the U.S. and Canada engaging more than 280,000 Youth Volunteers in more than four million hours of service. • After a recent Summer of Service program: o 99% of YVC youth said they know they can make a difference in their community. o 95% reported volunteering gave them a stronger work ethic. o 92% learned to adapt to different situations. o 94% indicated they learned how to work as part of a team. o 96% want to volunteer again. • In the 2013-2014 program year, 6,338 YVC youth participated in 3,105 service-learning projects at 592 different community agencies, serving 127,662 hours. More than 1,457 of those youth served have earned at least 30 hours with YVC. • A 2009 independent evaluation of the entire YVC network tested its effectiveness at meeting YVC’s Four Fundamental Goals. The results were overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority of Youth Volunteers reported that their projects were challenging, rewarding, educational, diverse, and inspired them to volunteer again. Ninety-four percent of the community agencies served stated that hosting YVC projects increased outputs and advanced their mission.

General Youth Service Facts • A 2005 Corporation for National and Community Service Survey found that 55% of teenagers participate in volunteer activities. • According to an Independent Sector/Gallup study, youth service is worth $34.3 billion to the U.S. economy. The value of service carried out on the annual Global Youth Service Day event alone exceeds $171 million, according to the event’s organizer Youth Service America. • The Corporation for National and Community Service found a 27 percent higher likelihood for volunteers finding work than non-volunteers, regardless of age. • A 2008 survey of admissions officers from the top 50 colleges and universities by the organization DoSomething.org found that admissions officers consistently put a higher value on continuous volunteering over several years at a local place than a short-term stint overseas. • Out-of-school time programs for youth with opportunities for leadership, understanding, and friendship can help them develop social skills, leadership skills, greater knowledge of themselves, and prepare them for a variety of roles they assume as they reach college-age and the workforce (Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, 2010).

• Research suggest that youth who are both out of school and out of work are far less likely to reach sustenance levels of income if they do not attain access to work experience and/or further education (CNCS, 2011). • The need for youth volunteer opportunities that develop job skills is significant. In 2011, U.S. youth employment rates dropped to lows not seen in more than 50 years, ranging from 18 percent to 46 percent for teens. Part of the challenge for youth seeking employment is the gap between their skills and the qualifications needed for available positions. In addition to other work experiences, community service helps build job-readiness skills, knowledge and confidence. These encompass not just workplace and financial skills, but also the broader “soft skills” of taking responsibility and initiative, working in teams, focusing on problem-solving and learning how to contribute (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2012). • A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development found numerous positive effects youth have on adults and organizations by being included in decision-making roles, which is a key element of YVC program management. • A Search Institute study found that benefits for youth who serve include increased self-esteem, a sense of personal control, enhanced development of identity and life skills including leadership, public speaking, dependability, job responsibility, and higher academic achievement. • The YVC model of frequent, team-based, supervised, educational, diverse service projects directly fosters more than half of the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents and indirectly promotes several others. • According to the University of Washington’s Social Development Research Group, youth development programs that involve methods to strengthen social and moral competencies, build self-efficacy, increase bonding with adults, peers and younger children and expand opportunities and recognition for youth can result in positive youth behavior outcomes and the prevention of youth problem behaviors. • A UCLA/Higher Education Research Institute study found that youth who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic adults. • A 2002 report by the Independent Sector shows that adults who volunteered as youth tend to give more money to charity than others in the same income level. • According to an Independent Sector study, individuals who volunteered in their youth are twice as likely to serve as adults than those who did not. More than six out of ten adult volunteers started volunteering by age 14. • Civic engagement promotes higher academic achievement and develops many skills, including critical thinking, organizing, and planning. It also helps youth form an identity, an essential role of adolescence (Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, 2010). • According to the Search Institute, youth who volunteer just one hour a week are 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or engage in destructive behavior. • An Independent Sector/Gallup Poll found that the top benefits reported by youth who serve include that they: o Learned to respect others o Learned to be helpful and kind o Learned how to get along with and relate to others

o Gained satisfaction from helping others o Learned to understand people who were different from themselves o Learned how to relate to younger children o Became better people o Learned new skills o Developed leadership skills o Became more patient with others • A 2013 study by United Heath Group showed that among volunteers of all ages: o 76% say that volunteering has made them feel healthier o 94% say that volunteering improves their mood o 78% say that volunteering lowers their stress levels

General Service-Learning Facts • Multiple RMC Research Corporation studies found that students who participate in high-quality service-learning experience an array of positive impacts, including acceptance of diversity, connection to cultural heritage, development of ethics, strengthening of protective factors related to resilience, as well as higher academic achievement, civic engagement, acquisition of leadership skills, and personal/social development. • Studies have shown strong statistically significant differences on formulation of career plans and emphasis on finding a career that was personally satisfying and/or beneficial to others between service-learning participants and nonparticipants (Furco et al., 2002). • Service-learning strengthens youth, who are critical assets in their families and communities, strengthens community vitality by connecting institutions, schools, and families in ways that foster positive youth development, and helps prepare youth to become successful adults and employees (Family Strengthening Policy Center, 2007). • Participants in high-quality service-learning programs are significantly more likely to say they intend to vote, enjoy school, acquired more civic knowledge related to government and community, gained job skills and work experience, learned about careers and acquired reading, writing, and computer skills (RMC Research Corporation, 2007). • Service-learning program duration is positively related to participants’ commitment to learning as well as a reduction in the achievement gap between participants of different socioeconomic status (Journal of Experiential Education, 2006). • According to the National Dropout Prevention Center, service-learning provides developmental opportunities that promote personal, social, and intellectual growth as well as civic responsibility and career exploration. • Service-learning participants have a stronger set of job and career-related skills and aspirations, including knowledge of how to plan activities, desire to pursue postsecondary education, and job interview skills, than non-participants (Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 2006). • A 2008 report by Civic Enterprises and the National Conference on Citizenship found that: o 82% of students who participate in service-learning reported more positive feelings about high school. o 75% agreed that service-learning classes are more interesting than other classes.

o 65% believe connecting classroom learning with opportunities to serve would increase their motivation. • Recent RMC Research Corporation studies show great promise for service-learning as an avenue for increasing achievement among alternative school students and other students considered at risk of school failure. • Harvard Professor Robert Putnam’s 25-year study on civic engagement found that community prosperity is dependent on the quality and intensity of citizen involvement in the community. • Disadvantaged youth who participate in quality service-learning tend to have a greater commitment to learning and better school attendance, grades, and academic success than non- participating peers. They are also more likely to be engaged in learning, to demonstrate more positive civic attitudes and behaviors, and to believe they are contributing to the community (Search Institute, 2007). • A 2005 Harris Interactive study found that service-learning participants: o Said they valued school more and learning had more meaning and relevance. o Were more likely to pursue higher education. o Were more likely to report being very or extremely satisfied with life overall and other aspects of their lives, such as school, friends, work, and family. o Were more likely to say they would continue to volunteer. o Were more likely to report various forms of civic engagement such as discussing politics or community issues, voting, or expressing opinions publicly. • A 2006 study by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that youth who participate in service-learning are 63 percent more likely than those who don’t to say that they do better in school and take an interest in world events. They are also nearly three times as likely to believe they can make a difference in their community. • According to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, high-quality community-based service-learning leads to positive outcomes for youth, youth-serving organizations, service beneficiaries, and the broader society. Specifically: o Benefits for youth include: . Increased access to the range of supports and opportunities youth need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. . Increased sense of self-efficacy as youth learn that they can impact real social challenges, problems, and needs. . Higher academic achievement and interest in furthering their education. . Enhanced planning and problem-solving skills and ability to work in teams. . Enhanced civic engagement attitudes, skills and behaviors. o Benefits for youth-serving organizations include: . Service-learning provides an intentional strategy for addressing learning and development goals through civic engagement and community service. . Service-learning can cultivate connections between the organization, schools, higher education and other community groups. . Service-learning can increase program staff and volunteers’ level of engagement, leadership capacity and satisfaction with their work. . Service-learning reinforces effective youth development practices, providing youth with, among other things, appropriate structure, supportive relationships, opportunities to belong, positive social norms,

opportunities for skill building; and integration of family, school, and community efforts. o Benefits to agencies that host youth service-learning projects include: . The opportunity to expand their mission and reach without substantially increasing costs by engaging a corps of competent, motivated youth. . New energy, ideas, and enthusiasm as well as specialized skills that youth can bring to the organization. . Increased public support and visibility in the community as youth become ambassadors for the agency in their schools, homes, and other networks. . New partnerships and resources. . A new generation of volunteers for their organization or cause. o Benefits for service recipients, communities and the broader society include: . Service-learning meets real needs and priorities for individuals and communities, as youth bring new energy, capacity, and creative ideas. . Residents have opportunities to build positive relationships with youth. . Communities see youth as resources, not problems. . A new generation of caring and experienced citizens, activists, and volunteers.

General After-School Program Facts • According to the YMCA, teens who participate in after-school programs are nearly three times less likely to skip class, use marijuana or other drugs, drink, smoke and engage in sexual activity. • A 2007 University of California-Irvine study found that regular participation in high-quality after- school programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged students. • A 2004 Policy Studies Associates study found students in after-school programs improved math scores and school attendance compared to non-participants. Participants also passed more Regents exams and earned more school credits than non-participants. • According to the After School Alliance, 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs (the chief federal funding stream supporting out-of-school time programs) were cut by $12.3 million in 2011, resulting in an estimated 12,300 children losing their programs. • According to the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice there is a link between after-school program participation and violence prevention. Specifically, “students in after school programs exhibit fewer behavioral problems, better ability to handle conflicts and improved self-confidence.” • A 2002 SEDL study found that sustained involvement in quality after-school programs for youth benefits youth socially, emotionally and academically, and can help mitigate factors that contribute to the academic achievement gaps faced by many low-income and minority students, including low expectations by teachers, poor quality instruction, lack of enrichment experiences and alienation from school. • A 2007 analysis of 73 after-school studies by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning concluded that after-school programs using evidence-based approaches were consistently successful in producing multiple benefits for youth, including improvements in children’s personal, social and academic skills and self-esteem.

• Teens who participate in after-school programs are nearly three times less likely to use marijuana or other drugs. They are also less likely to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes (Policy Studies Associates, Inc. 2005). • After school hours are the peak time for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex (After-School All-Stars, 2012). • A 2003 study on after-school programs found that they “reduced costs from crime, increased tax revenues flowing from increased educational attainment, increased tax revenues resulting from increased maternal labor supply, and reduced social costs associated with teen fertility (Levine and Zimmerman, 2003). • A recent report showed after-school programs were successful in improving youths’ feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem, school bonding (positive feelings and attitudes toward school), and positive social behaviors (Gottfredson et al, 2004).