Roberto is just one of hundreds of Lowell teens who are in need of guidance to help them choose a safe, productive, and positive future. UTEC has a proven record of success with young people and offers GED, ADP, job training, and enrichment programs, along with specialized supports like anger management and substance-abuse groups. Young people at UTEC are civically engaged through volunteerism and advocacy and are well on their way to gainful employment.

 says Roberto's Transitional Coach, Sandra, "He just needed a program like UTEC to guide him in the right way." Streetworkers told Roberto about UTEC's Workforce Development program, where he could earn a paycheck while learning work skills and earn his GED with other young people. Roberto knew continuing his education and learning real-world job skills would help him be a better parent and get more involved in community life, but he was used to doing things on his own terms. He struggled with anger management as he transitioned from living by street rules to being a productive part of UTEC's community.

Roberto passed his OSHA certification, and now works on UTEC's construction crew. He has graduated to a leadership role, modeling behavior for other young people coming up through the program. In our GED classroom, some of Roberto's A+ papers line the walls, along with a poster he made of his research on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s work toward social justice. Roberto's attitude has completely changed. He talks about future plans of earning a full time job as a construction worker.

At a time when many of his peers are facing unemployment, dropping out of high school, and are gang involved, Roberto is on track to graduate from our program and is concentrating on being a present and positive force in his young daughter's life. His commitment to UTEC has given Roberto the skills he needs to build a more positive future for himself - and for his daughter.

Your contribution can make a tremendous difference to a young person like Roberto. Giving to UTEC means that Roberto and his peers can look forward to a productive life. Your help ensures that UTEC continues to give Lowell's teens a safe place where caring adults, like Sandra, empower them to build confidence, learn new skills, and transform their lives.