A Chicago non-profit is set to revive the Back to Our Future program with a substantial $25 million funding boost aimed at preventing violence among teens. Originally launched in 2022 to re-engage youth aged 14 to 21 who have dropped out of school, the initiative faced significant challenges, with a 2023 report revealing only 71 of 446 participants successfully re-enrolled in school.
Despite its troubled past, advocates and former program leaders express cautious optimism for the new iteration, now led by Metropolitan Family Services. They emphasize that effective outreach is crucial, as many of the targeted youths face unique barriers. The program aims to recruit and support a more significant number of participants over the next three years, but questions remain about the strategy’s effectiveness given the previous lack of transparency and coordination issues.
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