Youth Options Unlimited Boston launches new website to provide high-risk youth with better access to opportunities

Youth Options Unlimited Boston launches new website to provide high-risk youth with better access to opportunities

 Updated site features online referral system and the voices of young people to show impact of YOU Boston’s work

 BOSTON – Youth Options Unlimited Boston (YOU Boston), a division of the Office of Jobs and Community Services, which is supported by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, is launching a more modern, redesigned website to promote engagement and program participation. YOU Boston strives to change the lives of high-risk and court-involved teens and young adults, ages 14 to 24, by partnering with them to take actionable steps toward a better future. In some cases, this work starts by helping young people reenter their communities following incarceration. The overhauled site reinforces YOU Boston’s mission by utilizing social tools and functionality that allows visitors to actively submit referrals online, just in time for 2015 Summer Employment Program.

According to Kim Pelletreau, Deputy Director of YOU Boston, this streamlined communication process will enable YOU Boston staff to more quickly connect with referred youth. “Online referrals will make it so individuals won’t have to call and speak to staff, or go through the time-intensive process of downloading forms, manually filling them out, then sending them in through traditional mail or fax. We’re very excited to have a new public face for our work.” The website redesign aligns with the Office of Jobs and Community Services’ commitment to building clear pathways to economic stability.

Now in its 17th year, YOU Boston (formerly Youth Opportunity Boston) continues to empower and motivate youth and young adults so they may gain the education, employment, and career advancement skills needed to access opportunities and be successful in the workplace, in the community, and in their lives. YOUboston.org has served as an entryway for constituents, partners, and donors seeking out information about the organization. However, the previous website had become dated and lacked the ability to serve as an effective outreach tool.

“Youth Options Unlimited Boston creates positive pathways for high-risk youth, which is essential to Boston's neighborhoods," said Mayor Walsh. "Through this program, young people overcome hurdles, and are empowered to envision brighter futures for themselves. I've been shaped by positive programs, and I know they matter in developing responsible members of society.”

The new YOUBoston.org showcases stories of progress through the voices of young people right on the homepage, giving a human face to the once content-sparse site. This redesigned site marks a vast departure from its predecessor, and it will be a key piece in activating the over 300 youth served annually by YOU Boston. It also offers a more enriching experience for outreach and program partners, which include educators, law enforcement officials, business leaders, and community members.

YOU Boston’s staff of case managers and career development specialists, working as services teams with young people, are committed to doing whatever it takes to connect high-risk and court-involved young people with the tools necessary to reenter their communities, and to progress and succeed in life.

Please visit www.YOUBoston.org for more information about program services and referral opportunities.