Welcome to bostonyouthnet.org, the home of the Boston High Risk Youth Network and a resource website for organizations and providers serving youth at high risk in the City of Boston. The High Risk Youth Network defines youth at “high risk” as between the ages of twelve (12) and twenty-one (21), who are court involved, truant, gang-involved, a chronic substance abuser, homeless, pregnant or a parent.

Growing up is challenging work for all young people. However, some of our youth must overcome almost insurmountable obstacles including violence, drugs, having children, difficulty with parents, homelessness, struggling in school or dropping out, joblessness, unemployment, etc. These youth at high risk need our help to become all they were meant to be.

This website highlights promising practices from providers throughout the city of Boston who work with youth at high risk by addressing the ecological barriers to their success. Bostonyouthnet.org is a tool designed to help providers strengthen connections, collaborations and communities.

For information on 2008 Network meetings, click here.

For 2008 membership information, click here (group) click here (individual).

For High Risk Youth Network publications please see below under Reports.

To contact the Network, click here.

Network Overview
The High Risk Youth Network is a service of the Boston Capacity Tank (the Tank), which is a program of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston (BMA). The purpose of the Tank  is to build the capacity of faith-based organizations (FBOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) so that they become more sustainable and more effective. The ultimate goal is better lives for our youth and families and more vital communities. The Tank is a partnership between the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (UWMB), the BMA, the Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC) and the Boston Ten Point Coalition (BTPC). For a one page description of the partner agencies, click here. These four partner agencies work together to host the High Risk Youth Network. Decisions about the Network's meetings and facilitation are made by a Steering Committe, composed of staff from the four agencies plus three members selected from the Network's membership.

The purpose of the Network is to strengthen the system of services for high-risk youth in the city of Boston. All youth deserve to have every opportunity to grow up to live holistically healthy lives and become productive citizens.

The Network believes that it is the entire community’s responsibility to work together to support youth who face these obstacles by creating avenues for success and helping them set and achieve positive goals. It is the appropriate role for the service agencies in the network to provide resources and strategies that develop the social, emotional and spiritual needs of our people. Our youth must receive holistic support to develop their gifts and overcome life’s challenges. Without it, these youth are at high risk for continuing to live in a cycle of destructive behavior.

The Network has identified two priorities to guide its work in 2008:
1.  The Matrix Project / Local Area Networks.  The Matrix helps community based clusters assess the services available within their geographic boundaries.  The basis for the Matrix is an assessment of the primary services of local agencies by two measures:  type of services (prevention, intervention, or post-vention) and youth outcomes (academic, job readiness, citizenship, personal growth, positive relationships, and avoiding risky behaviors. The Network plans to facilitate Matrix planning processes in selected neighborhoods across Boston, beginning with a pilot in Mattapan during summer 2008.  Please see attached for more information:

• HRYN Local Area Networks Model
• Community Matrix Sample
• Community Matrix Overview
• Matrix Benchmarks

Youth Policy Initiative
Funded by a grant from the Boston Foundation’s Youth Policy Initiative, the HRYN has planned the following capacity building activities in 2008:

1. Map targeted neighborhoods’ youth population and youth services.
2. Map funds allocated for youth in Boston:  federal, state, city, and private revenues that benefit youth at high risk.

For more information, please attend the Network meetings and/or contact Talia Rivera at trivera@bmaboston.org. 

2007-2008 Reports
The Boston Youth Survival Guide
The Boston Youth Survival Guide 2008 is a youth-friendly guide to help youth in Boston find the services they need to be safe, healthy and successful. The Survival Guide content was developed using information gathered from focus groups with youth, service providers, parents, and law enforcement personnel, in addition to reviewing existing directories and research. Through this process we learned about the needs of youth at high risk in Boston and we were able to pinpoint gaps in the services that benefit high risk youth. The Survival Guide gives practical TIPS about what youth can do and who they can turn to in many different situations. It also lists the many agencies in Boston that are working to help youth deal with stressors and obstacles. It is our hope that the outcome of this research will be of use to you. Click here for an online version of the Guide and interactive geographic map. 

The Jobs Resource Guide- Coming Soon

The Youth Outcomes Report click here.
Creating Goals for Youth at High Risk in the City of Boston identifies six key outcome areas for youth at high risk: 
Goal 1: To achieve academic success
Goal 2: To achieve economic self sufficiency
Goal 3: To exhibit good citizenship and positive community engagement
Goal 4: To exhibit affirming personal growth and development 
Goal 5: To increase healthy positive relationships
Goal 6: To decrease/minimize high risk behavior

These goals (also referred to as “assets”) were identified through a series of community focus groups held with parents, youth, and youth service providers.  The Goals Group of the Network  consulted with Synergy and Solutions, LLC to conduct this project.  This project was designed to gain insight from stakeholders in the development of city-wide consensus on goals and outcomes for youth that are considered at high-risk in Boston. 

Archived Network Reports
• Jobs Promising Practice Report
“Promising Practices in Preparing, Hiring and Sustaining High-Risk Youth in Employment” is for everyone who wants to help youth at high risk to enter and retain employment and to move up a meaningful career path.