Dear Friends,

In these times of national crises, it is important that we recognize how our youth and young adults of color are directly impacted not only by systemic racism, but by the economic impacts of COVID-19 as well. We know that COVID-19 disproportionately affects communities of color, both from a health perspective as well as economically.[i]

We at Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) recognize these realities. More than half of the 76,000+ youth we serve self-identify as African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or mixed ethnicity. These students often face multiple systemic barriers to success, which have been exacerbated since the onset of the global pandemic.

But, it’s in recognizing these realities that we have positive news to share.

As JAG Specialists completed our 12 months of follow-up services for the Class of 2019, JAG student results included:

JAG students continue to achieve extraordinary results despite the impacts of COVID-19 and despite the fact that communities of color have consistently been underserved.

JAG was founded to address these inequalities, and for four decades, JAG and JAG Specialists continue to be a decisive difference in helping our students so they succeed in high school, higher education, jobs and life.

The support services provided by JAG Specialists have never been more important than now.

Check out these two recent articles form Forbes that help tell JAG’s story:

  1. The first article describes the perspectives of students and staff at the front lines in Missouri, where the impacts and conditions of the pandemic, which are similar to those in all of our 1,450 locations across the country.
  2. The second focuses on our students’ fears about how their peers are reacting. There is a genuine risk of a “Lost Generation” of young people. Many of them may cease to attend school, because they face severe economic difficulties, unemployment, and family issues. And, of course, when they look for jobs, they will be competing with 45 million other job seekers in the worst labor market in modern history.

If you’re interested in doing more in these times of need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or our Social and Digital Media Manager, Tori Buell.

Thank you for your consideration.
Janelle Duray
Executive Vice President, Jobs for America’s Graduates