United Way Young Men

 Young Men United (YMU) is an evidence-informed initiative designed to create barrier-free pathways for young men to reach their academic and career goals by bringing wrap around supports to college capable high school students starting in the tenth or eleventh grade. 

United Way of the Midlands operates the program and currently serves over 100 young men. The initiative partners with local technical colleges and universities. The goal of the program is to increase post-secondary education attainment with retention and improvement in workforce development. 

Despite the increased need for post-secondary education, many SC students are not graduating from high school prepared to succeed. In 2019, only 25% of SC high school graduates met college readiness benchmarks in science and only 33% of benchmarks in reading. As jobs in STEM grow at twice the rate of other fields, addressing these disparities in the Midlands is more important than ever. 

The video below is an overview and features real-life interviews with participants!