Search

SUPPORT

Understanding the Need
Benefits to Youth
Benefits to the Community
TYD's Approach
​How to Help
​Donate
Volunteer Options

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED

More youth than ever—2.2 million teenagers and 4.3 million young adults ages 16 to 24—are neither in school nor working. In Arizona, just over three-quarters of high school students graduate on time—one of the lowest rates in the nation. In Pima County, the rate is even lower, with only about 7 in 10 students graduating on time
​
Tucson Youth Development (TYD) takes action to change these outcomes. We provide young people with the academic foundation, technical training, and essential "soft skills" needed to hold a job, navigate life's challenges, and build a pathway to a career.
​
The youth we serve include low-income teens, young parents, foster youth, juvenile ex-offenders, and those experiencing homelessness. Many come from broken homes and have lived through domestic violence, neglect, or abuse. Despite unimaginable hardship, they are striving for stability, independence, and a better future.

BENEFITS TO YOUTH

​Vulnerable youth often struggle to stay in school, let alone transition into adulthood with a sense of direction and purpose. In Pima County alone, there are nearly 10,000 disconnected youth ages 16 to 24—young people who are out of school, out of work, and at risk of being left behind.

TYD changes the trajectory.

We help youth find their strengths, set goals, and take the next steps forward. Our services support academic progress, technical training, and personal growth.
  • 95% of students stay on track toward their academic and career goals
  • Students gain 1 to 1.5 grade levels per semester on average

BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY

When young people lack access to education, jobs, and stable adult support, the consequences ripple across our entire community.

Too many of the youth we serve are already raising children of their own, while navigating trauma, poverty, and systemic barriers—without timely intervention, the cycle of hardship deepens and continues.
  • Nearly half of children under 12 in Tucson live in poverty
  • More than 10,700 youth in our city are disconnected from both school and work (14.4% disconnection rate)

This is not just a youth crisis—it’s a community crisis.
​
Every young person who falls through the cracks represents lost potential for our workforce, our local economy, and our shared future. Investing in education and career pathways for disconnected youth is one of the most powerful tools we have to build a healthier, more prosperous Tucson.

TYD'S APPROACH

We understand that traditional education doesn’t work for every learner. TYD offers flexible options that combine technology, personalized support, and real-world job readiness. Through caring relationships with adult mentors, technical training, and meaningful opportunities, we unlock potential and put youth on a path to long-term success.
​
Our goal is to help young people develop the skills, confidence, and direction they need to become empowered, contributing members of our community.

HOW TO HELP

  • Make a charitable donation.
  • Contribute your annual Arizona School Tax Credit to ACE or YouthWorks to support extracurricular and character education activities. Learn more here.
  • Donate personal hygiene products and other essential items for disadvantaged and homeless TYD students and participants.
  • Support TYD through Fry’s Community Rewards by linking your account to Tucson Youth Development (Account #UH308 or search "Tucson Youth Development").
  • Join us at upcoming TYD events.
  • Become an Employer Worksite.
To make a recurring monthly donation, customized gift or to make arrangements for an estate gift, contact TYD by email or by calling 520-623-5843. 
Volunteer Option

Please consider donating your time to become a guest speaker, mentor or tutor.
Click here to download the Volunteer Application Form.   Be advised, all volunteers must have a valid IVP fingerprint clearance card.  Please give TYD a two-week period to respond to your volunteer application. During the year-end holiday, the turnaround time may be longer. 

ENROLL IN A TYD SCHOOL

DONATE
© 2021 Tucson Youth Development, Inc.