A majority of young adults in the United States lack an understanding of the interconnectedness of the modern world and “are unprepared for an increasingly global future.”
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For young people living in poverty, afterschool programs are often their sole connection to the larger world and to understanding their home and neighborhood cultures in a larger context. In today’s world, the ability to understand complex global issues, exposure to and comfort with cultures other than one’s own, and the ability to work in groups – skills that can be developed and honed in afterschool programs – are critical to young peoples’ overall success.