Impact In Arkansas
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EMERGING WORK
WRF realizes that our efforts to “Move the Needle” will encompass a variety of strategies and will require targeted interventions with many sub-populations of our state’s citizens. Even as we begin our work on the major issues and systems affecting poverty and educational attainment, we have developed a strategic list of emerging work that focuses on the vulnerable groups in our state.
DISCONNECTED YOUTH: young men and women ages 16–24 who are not in school and are not working, and whose prospects for future advancement are waning MORE
Disconnected youth are generally defined as youth ages 16–24 that have dropped out of school, are out of work, and generally lack strong supportive connections to family or other positive networks. In many instances, these weak connections are exacerbated by involvement in the juvenile justice or foster care systems.
Arkansas data shows that:
- 11% of Arkansas teens ages 16–19 are not working and are not in school.
- Only 1 in 5 high school graduates ages 25–29 has completed a bachelor’s degree.
- An average of 15,000 Arkansas teens drop out of school each year (2008).
Other research suggests that, without intervention, these teens will be relegated to low-wage work and poverty. WRF’s investments around disconnected youth include:
- Dropout Prevention work
- Funding for literacy and work skill training
- Support for planning efforts in the urban center of the state
Many other local and national organizations are also focusing on this population. More information is available at:
MARGINALIZED MALES: Black, Latino, and low-income white males of all ages who are having trouble connecting to the labor market and educational opportunities MORE
Historically, men tend to represent a larger proportion of individuals in crisis than women. Men are more likely to be incarcerated, young men are more likely to drop out of school, men are less likely to pursue higher education, and the list goes on. Furthermore, when those issues are examined through the lens of race, ethnicity, and economic status, the picture becomes even more alarming.
- African American men are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white males and make only 75% as much a year.
- African American males account for only 2.8% of undergraduate students.
- Latino males age 18 and under make up about 17.5% of the U.S. population, but they account for only about 4% of the nation’s college and university enrollment. In Arkansas, only 9% of the Latino population has an associate’s degree or higher.
- College completion rates for African American males in the state of Arkansas are below 15%, often due to a lack of resources and guidance.
While numerous initiatives are evolving in the state to improve college completion rates for African American males and other inequity issues, WRF is funding and facilitating the Marginalized Males Workforce and Education Consortium (MMWEC) to support the development of higher education and community programs focused on retention and graduation rates for marginalized males in Arkansas. The consortium is working diligently to bring together stakeholders to share best practices and emerging work to improve results for marginalized students in Arkansas. As part of the strategy to move the needle in education, work toward policy change and community involvement is identified as critical to our mission. WRF’s Moving the Needle strategic goals encompass the need for a public education system to support and maintain the core values of a fair and equitable democratic society. Current MMWEC grantees include:
- Arkansas Baptist College
- Philander Smith College
- P.A.R.K. (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids)
- The STAND Foundation, Inc.
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
WRF is not alone in its efforts to support marginalized males; many other local and national organizations are also focusing on this population. More information is available at:
RURAL POOR: families and children who live isolated from job opportunities and strong educational systems MORE
According to the USDA, about 40% of Arkansas’s population live in rural areas. And while there are many positive aspects to rural life, the economic and educational realities suggest that moving the needle on indicators of well-being for rural families will require targeted strategies. According to the Carsey Institute, “globalization is changing the rural economy; agriculture and low-skilled manufacturing are no longer key drivers. In their place is a growing service sector, including some jobs that require greater skills, education, and training than in the past.”
Arkansas data reinforces that reality:
- The average per-capita income for all Arkansas residents in 2007 was $30,177, although rural per-capita income lagged at $25,650.
- Estimates from 2007 indicate that a poverty rate of 20.0% exists in rural Arkansas, compared with 15.9% in urban areas of the state.
- Data from 2000 finds that 29.3% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 21.1% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma.
- The unemployment rate in rural Arkansas is 6.0%, while in urban Arkansas it is 4.5%.
WRF’s grant work in rural Arkansas is significant and includes:
- Support for organizations working to bring together rural residents
- Support for research that makes the case for broader investment in the rural areas of our state
- Direct support for nonprofits focusing on the rural regions of our state
- Support for direct service programs that focus on increasing the earning potential of rural residents
- Investments in economic institutions that make capital accessible in rural areas
Other resources on rural families can be found at:
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