Project U-Turn: Turning Around Young Philadelphians' Lives by the Thousands

Publication Date: 01/05/2012

Since 2005, the William Penn Foundation has invested more than $5.5 million in Project U-Turn and its efforts to prevent students from dropping out and to reconnect those who already have. Led by the Philadelphia Youth Network, Project U-Turn has made remarkable progress on Philadelphia's graduation rate, substantially improving thousands of young lives while reducing the economic and social strain that dropouts place on our community.

A recent Huffington Post column describes the extraordinary impact of Project U-Turn in Philadelphia, which has inspired similar efforts across America. Co-authors Brian Gallagher, president & CEO of the United Way of America, and Willa Seldon of the Bridgespan Group write:

…collaboratives like Project U-Turn are proving to be one of America's best hopes for conquering such complex, multi-issue challenges. These collaboratives aim for significant change, engage cross-sector participants, use data to improve over time and are committed long-term. About 100 dot the nation, with another 500 ramping up. The best of them aim for at least a 10% community-wide improvement against such intractable problems as violence, teen pregnancy and low graduation rates. While 10% may not seem ambitious, over time it represents huge savings in incarceration, welfare, homeless services and more.

Project U-Turn has lived up to its name. In 2004, Philadelphia's high schools had an attrition rate approaching 50% -- or 30,000 students annually leaving school without a diploma. By 2011, the four-year on-time cohort graduation rate had increased 12 percentage points, from 49% to 61%. The six-year rate increased five points, from 56% to 61%. Those statistics translate into nearly 4,000 better young lives.

Obviously, this didn't just happen. It took government, nonprofit and philanthropy pulling together with a singleness of purpose around what works -- and with adequate resources and outstanding leadership.

The entire piece can be found here.

Visit our partners at the Philadelphia Youth Network to learn more about Project U-Turn and its efforts to turn around the lives of thousands of young Philadelphians. 

Read our 2010 feature article on Project U-Turn.