In the four year period covering 2008-2011, we saw great loss – mostly in terms of financial net worth! In 2008, the sub-prime mortgage crises rocked the economy and continued to do so throughout 2009, leading to the collapse of several major financial institutions. History was made in November of 2008 when the U.S. elected […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 2012-2015
As we wrap up our reflection of the past 40 years, we look at 2012 through 2015, the most recent four-year period in our memory. It’s safe to say that the Earth uttered a sigh of relief that the world did not come to an end when the Mayan calendar stopped in 2012. Although devastation […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 2004-2007
The “Curse of the Bambino” is lifted as the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 for the first time since 1918. In 2005, a new website called YouTube is launched and achieves such quick success that Google purchased the site in 2006 for $1.65 billion in Google Stock. Pluto didn’t have such […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 2000-2003
YouthZone: 2000-2003 As the nation breathed a sigh of relief that all of our computers were still functional in 2000, we had no idea what the next few years would have in store for us. As President Clinton left office, his wife, Hillary, was elected to the Senate, launching her own political career that would […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 1996-1999
YouthZone: 1996-1999 Technology was a hot topic in the last four years of the 1990s, as dot coms were on the rise in 1996/97 (only to have the bubble burst in 2000) and software concerns over the impending 2000 date were frantically debated for much of 1999. Young women across America were begging their hairdressers […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 1988 – 1995
As the 1980s transitioned into the early 1990s, we saw the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of the Cold war, only to soon find our nation entrenched in a war in the Gulf after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. At home, teens in the United Sates followed the lives […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 1980-1987
Who can forget what a fabulous decade the 80s were? Kevin Bacon was teaching us all to be footloose, Aqua Net allowed us to pump up the volume on our bangs, Mary Lou Retton was stealing our hearts at the Olympics, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was turning out hits one after the other. And […]
Continue ReadingStories of Triumph: Laura
A common theme often occurs with the teens that come through YouthZone’s doors – trauma and mental illness, masked by substance abuse. As was the case for Laura, a teen who has had a difficult year, but is overcoming many hurdles in her life in order to embark on a promising future. More than a […]
Continue ReadingStories of Triumph: Adam and Paul
When a mentor and mentee come together to forge a relationship that is positive and meaningful for both, it’s a true success. Recently, YouthZone celebrated the graduation of a Pals Mentoring relationship that lasted four years and created a bond between both the mentor and mentee that will continue long after the formal mentor relationship […]
Continue ReadingG.O.A.L. Academy – Blended Alternative High School
For some students, traditional classroom settings simply don’t match their educational needs, which can lead to poor attendance and performance. Luckily, there are alternative schools that may offer solutions for students who want to receive a quality education. One such organization that is available for students in the YouthZone service area is G.O.A.L. Academy – […]
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