Welcome to Our 2019-2020 Impact Report!

As Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Those sentiments reflect the pendulum of emotions felt by Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) and our national network of Simon Youth Academy students this academic year.

The start of the 2019-2020 school year brought immense joy and anticipation, as SYF celebrated the Foundation’s 20th Anniversary and marched closer to our 20,000th lifetime graduate. With a new campaign that featured Simon Youth Academy students and the slogan, “We See a Graduate,” it felt like SYF was embarking on our best year yet.

We concluded 2019 by surprising our 20,000th graduate at her graduation ceremony at Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills in Nashville, Tenn. We kicked off 2020 with our largest ever group of Simon Youth Academies participating in the civic engagement experience Close Up in Washington, D.C., and received new data from YouthTruth Student Survey showing an overwhelmingly positive student perception of their Academy experiences, with our percentages continuing to trend above the national norms in critical areas including relationships with teachers and school culture.

Like everyone across the globe, SYF was not immune to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. By March, the Foundation joined millions of people in sheltering in place, learning to work remotely with our colleagues at the Foundation and in our Academy network. We saw how SYF teachers went above and beyond to connect with their students during this unique time, and we watched as many SYF students were on the frontlines themselves, continuing to work in high-need jobs at grocery stores and fast-food restaurants.

As days turned into weeks, it became clear that students would not return to in-person learning – and worse, that many would not be able to celebrate their graduation in person. SYF quickly pivoted to ensure that our students felt honored for their achievements. You can read more about this in our graduation section of the report.