Our Young Adults

Meet our Young People

UTEC’s program is designed for young adults with proven barriers to success, primarily incarceration and gang involvement.

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“Since prioritizing my mental health with my counselor, I’ve learned how to talk through how I’m feeling to better identify what’s going on, and it’s been so helpful that I’m not afraid to ask for help anymore.”

Money

“We all make mistakes as a child. We shouldn’t get a life sentence for them.”

James

“When I first got out of jail, I had no car, no good job, no apartment, no good work ethic, and now I have all those things.”

Young Adults Served

UTEC’s target population is young people ages 17-25 in Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill, MA, who are out of school and have histories of gang involvement or incarceration.

UTEC’s focus on older youth is intentional. We seek to serve young people who may not have found success in other, shorter-term programs or who may have been underserved by the judicial system. We believe everyone deserves a clean slate.

119

enrolled in our intensive program

~600

served through Streetworker and community outreach

20.3

average age of our young adults

Our young adults have multiple barriers to success.

83%

Enrolled with a Criminal Record

76%

Were Gang Involved

68%

Lacked High School Credential

Despite these barriers,

Young adults continue to pursue positive change for themselves and their communities.