Program Overview

Each year, Juma works with more than 250 youth participants between the ages of 15 - 19 years. Youth are recruited from high schools in San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego and Washington DC's most economically blighted neighborhoods, usually during their junior and senior years in high school. Youth who join Juma's program agree to participate in the full breadth of our support services over a 1-2 year period as appropriate, depending on each youth's individual needs.

Each youth participant works with Juma's staff to create an Individual Development Plan that identifies future goals and designs an action plan for achieving them. These comprehensive plans identify goals and developmental needs with education, careers, financial literacy and savings, personal health and wellness, and other important life skills. They also help to create a roadmap for each youth that personalizes their participation in Juma's program.

Most youth participants will complete their experience in Juma's program during the summer after their high school graduation. They leave Juma and enter adulthood on a positive trajectory for the future: in most cases, youth transition from Juma to a 2-year or 4-year college track; less frequently, youth move on to full-time employment after finishing Juma's program.