Childhood poverty is known to have adverse effects on mental and physical health, life expectancy, education and access to food and stable housing. It is also a contributing risk factor for adverse childhood experiences, which are potentially traumatic childhood events such as experiencing abuse or neglect, being exposed to drugs or alcohol, or facing the instability of a caregiver being jailed. Yet, sadly, estimates suggest that the poverty rate in Arizona for children ages 18 and younger is 18.8%.
The staff and volunteers at New Pathways for Youth (NPFY) know these facts and figures far too well. For 35 years, they have been transforming the lives of teens and young adults in the greater Phoenix area who live in poverty and have experienced three or more adverse childhood experiences.
“These are kids who, often through no fault of their own, are living with incredible hardship," said Dr. Karen Johnson, President and CEO of New Pathways for Youth. “Our sole purpose is to help them find joy and purpose and to help them develop confidence in their ability to choose a different path in life. We provide the support, skills and stability to help them flourish."
According to Karen, the program, which served 737 youth in 2023, is a resounding success. “I am very proud to share that 95% of our youth graduate from high school, and 80% go on to further their education or to receive job training. This is truly remarkable given that three-quarters of these kids are the first in their families to do so."
Karen is also quick to applaud the commitment and compassion of the program's mentors, who provided more than 15,400 hours of mentorship in 2023, adding, “We've had mentors who have stayed with their mentee for three years, four years, and quite a few who remain connected well after high school, becoming lifelong supporters and friends. The relationships that are built are truly transformational for these kids and, in many cases, their families."
In July 2023, NPFY received the first allocation from the Opus Foundation and used it to develop Bonus Round, a young adult curriculum for those 18 to 21 years old that includes workshops on life skills, major and career exploration, financial literacy, resume building and more. The program, which launched in January 2024 with 81 young adult participants, is offered in-person and virtually to accommodate participants who are away at college or who face time and transportation barriers. NPFY is using the second donation allocation to fund a Bonus Round Program Coordinator to further build out the young adult curriculum.
“By funding the development of our Bonus Round program, the Opus Foundation helped us grow our college scholarship program as well," said Karen, noting that NPFY initiated a college scholarship program in 2023 and had just eight applicants. “Our young people started hearing about Bonus Round before it even launched. They heard about the enhanced career and college readiness support they'd be getting and that was enough to encourage 28 individuals to apply for a scholarship. I'm just so grateful not only for the financial support from the Opus Foundation but for the longtime partnership with Opus."
“I love this group of people," Richard said. “And they truly to their core show up every day to find new and better ways to serve the youth in our community."
“Richard is just so talented at helping us think, act and spend strategically and in a way that supports our mission. He asks great questions," said Karen. “But even more, he genuinely cares about the work we do, and he celebrates our kids alongside us. I really appreciate him!"
With support from dozens of donors, like the Opus Foundation, and hundreds of volunteers, like Richard, NPFY is quickly accelerating toward its goal of creating a new, more promising pathway for 1,000 youth every year by 2030.
The staff and volunteers at New Pathways for Youth (NPFY) know these facts and figures far too well. For 35 years, they have been transforming the lives of teens and young adults in the greater Phoenix area who live in poverty and have experienced three or more adverse childhood experiences.
“These are kids who, often through no fault of their own, are living with incredible hardship," said Dr. Karen Johnson, President and CEO of New Pathways for Youth. “Our sole purpose is to help them find joy and purpose and to help them develop confidence in their ability to choose a different path in life. We provide the support, skills and stability to help them flourish."
Offering a Leg Up with Level Up
Youth participating in NPFY benefit from a multi-faceted, customized program called Level Up that emphasizes relationships, education and employment. Each participant is provided one-on-one mentoring with a dedicated adult who is actively present in their lives for at least one year. Each participant is placed into a peer group that includes other youth participants and mentors who provide a community of support. In addition, NPFY staff develop a customized blueprint for each participant that includes a personalized action plan to meet short- and long-term goals as well as critical resources to meet the needs of youth and their entire family, ranging from housing assistance to food security to emergency relief.According to Karen, the program, which served 737 youth in 2023, is a resounding success. “I am very proud to share that 95% of our youth graduate from high school, and 80% go on to further their education or to receive job training. This is truly remarkable given that three-quarters of these kids are the first in their families to do so."
Karen is also quick to applaud the commitment and compassion of the program's mentors, who provided more than 15,400 hours of mentorship in 2023, adding, “We've had mentors who have stayed with their mentee for three years, four years, and quite a few who remain connected well after high school, becoming lifelong supporters and friends. The relationships that are built are truly transformational for these kids and, in many cases, their families."
Bonus Support Through Bonus Round
Level Up is so successful, so life-changing that many of the participants want to continue with the programming after graduating from high school. With a $125,000 grant distributed over two years from the Opus Foundation, now they can.In July 2023, NPFY received the first allocation from the Opus Foundation and used it to develop Bonus Round, a young adult curriculum for those 18 to 21 years old that includes workshops on life skills, major and career exploration, financial literacy, resume building and more. The program, which launched in January 2024 with 81 young adult participants, is offered in-person and virtually to accommodate participants who are away at college or who face time and transportation barriers. NPFY is using the second donation allocation to fund a Bonus Round Program Coordinator to further build out the young adult curriculum.
“By funding the development of our Bonus Round program, the Opus Foundation helped us grow our college scholarship program as well," said Karen, noting that NPFY initiated a college scholarship program in 2023 and had just eight applicants. “Our young people started hearing about Bonus Round before it even launched. They heard about the enhanced career and college readiness support they'd be getting and that was enough to encourage 28 individuals to apply for a scholarship. I'm just so grateful not only for the financial support from the Opus Foundation but for the longtime partnership with Opus."
Partners on the Path
Our financial partnership with NPFY goes back to 2014. In 2017, that partnership deepened when an associate joined the NPFY board of directors. Richard Chazal, Director of Project Management in our Phoenix office, recently joined the board.“I love this group of people," Richard said. “And they truly to their core show up every day to find new and better ways to serve the youth in our community."
“Richard is just so talented at helping us think, act and spend strategically and in a way that supports our mission. He asks great questions," said Karen. “But even more, he genuinely cares about the work we do, and he celebrates our kids alongside us. I really appreciate him!"
With support from dozens of donors, like the Opus Foundation, and hundreds of volunteers, like Richard, NPFY is quickly accelerating toward its goal of creating a new, more promising pathway for 1,000 youth every year by 2030.