Our vision
We envision future where the 20% of students most failed by our systems are thriving in school,
on a path to economic mobility, and free from justice-system involvement.
The 20% Project is a catalytic approach to transforming school and life outcomes for students facing the longest odds.
Who are the 20%?
1 in 5 students is caught between multiple Public Systems.
Today, roughly 5 million young people in America are disconnected
from both school and work and nearly one in five young people who
start eighth grade are disconnected from both school and work by age 19.
Yet too many alternative schools, correctional education programs,
and workforce initiatives fail to produce tangible economic mobility.
The 20% are the young people most likely to be connected to
multiple struggling systems—and least likely to be meaningfully
served by any of them.
The Opportunity
A single suspension in ninth grade makes a young person nearly 60% more likely to become justice involved the following year, setting in motion a trajectory that dramatically increases the likelihood of a lifetime of criminal justice involvement. A criminal charge triggers a sharp drop in earnings — even charges that don't result in conviction.
Helping the young people facing the toughest odds isn't just the right thing to do—it's one of the smartest investments a community can make. It builds stronger schools and systems, safer and more connected neighborhoods, real economic payoff, and a fairer shot for kids who didn't choose the circumstances they were born into.
