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Our Role

ASN serves as a conduit for the work of its member schools and community-based programs, connecting the mission, goals, strategies and outcomes to create a unified community of active participants in programming. Through this role, ASN is able to link the voices of its partner communities to marshal resources and expertise that will improve the outcomes for its target populations.

Advocacy

ASN advocates for community-based services in which the people involved are active participants in developing and running programs rather than passive recipients of services.

Partnerships

As we enter our next 40 years of work, we are proud to be partners with so many top notch organizations and schools to meet the growing need of youth in our neighborhoods and across our city.

Membership

Members of ASN are not-for-profit, independent and self- governing schools and youth & adult education organizations.

Programs

Today ASN helps shape policies and programs based upon its impressive track record of operating successful education, employment and support service programs.

Dropouts Matter

In Chicago, nearly 40,000 youth between the ages of 15 and 20 and approximately 97,000 youth ages 16 to 24 are high school dropouts. These teens and young adults often find their personal circumstances too insurmountable to overcome on their own in order to stay in school.

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ASN Newsletter Archives

Prison Pipeline

Dropouts are 3.5 times more likely than high school graduates to be incarcerated in their lifetime. 90% of the 11,000 youth in adult detention facilities have no more than a 9th grade education.

Job Loss

High school dropouts are less likely to receive skills and experience needed for employment, which also impacts the development of the future workforce. In 2001, only 55% of young adult dropouts were employed (nationally), compared with 74% of high school graduates and 87% of four-year college graduates.

Tax Revenue Loss

Dropouts earn less over their lifetime which equates to fewer tax contributions for the community. They also contribute to the state and federal tax coffers at only about one-half the rate of high school graduates; over a working lifetime about $60,000 or less, or $50 billion annually for the 23 million high school non-completers, ages 18-67.

Taxpayer Costs

Over the lifetime of each dropout, taxpayers bear the cost of approximately $290,000 due to loss of tax contributions, increased public assistance costs and correctional costs. Dropouts are substantially more likely to rely on public assistance than those with a high school diploma.