National Report Credits MCESA with Jumpstarting Efforts to Re-connect Maricopa County Disconnected Youth

Maricopa County, Arizona sent this bulletin at 03/09/2017 12:18 PM MST

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Marlys Weaver-Stoesz, Administrator of Marketing and Communications

Maricopa County Education Service Agency

marlys.weaver-stoesz@mcesa.maricopa.gov

(602) 359-6637

 

National Report Credits MCESA with Jumpstarting Efforts to Re-connect Area Disconnected Youth

(PHOENIX, AZ) – A report released yesterday, March 8, 2017, by Measure of America, an initiative of the Social Science Research Council, highlights the Maricopa County Education Service Agency’s efforts in lowering the number of disconnected youth in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

“Promising Gains, Persistent Gaps: Youth Disconnection in America” is Measure of America’s fourth report in a series on youth disconnection that began with a report in 2012 ranking Phoenix as the worst for youth disconnection of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. This most recent report recognizes the Maricopa County Education Service Agency (MCESA) for drawing attention to the Measure of America report and catalyzing business leaders, policy makers, educators, and youth-serving individuals and agencies. MCESA and the entire county’s work on addressing youth disconnection has lowered the number of disconnected youth from 99,800 or 18.8 percent in 2010 to 73,700 or 13.2 percent in 2015, a 30 percent decrease, according to Measure of America.

“The Maricopa County Education Service Agency (MCESA) jumpstarted the efforts with a series of summits to raise awareness and strategies,” reads the Measure of America report. “This was the first of a series of coordinated responses that brought together county and city officials, community leaders, the nonprofit, philanthropic, and private sectors, and residents to address youth disconnection.”

Maricopa County School Superintendent Steve Watson, who leads MCESA, applauded the agency's work with disconnected youth.

“MCESA and our many stakeholder partners have made tremendous progress in reconnecting youth over that last several years," Watson said. "I am grateful for the hard work of my predecessor and I’m committed to continuing educational programs that restore connections among our young people.”

Cross-sector work through two Disconnected Youth Summits in 2014 led to the creation of Opportunities for Youth, which continues to bring together diverse partners to address the needs of Maricopa County disconnected youth, also known as “opportunity youth."