Planting possibilities
Seeds to Success creates lifelines for local youth
STORY BY Monica Faram
A new program in Johnson County is working to address a growing concern: disconnected youth.
Seeds to Success is an education and career enhancement program designed to support young people ages 15-25 who may be struggling to find direction, connection or opportunity.
The need is significant. According to the U. S. Census Bureau’ s 2023 American Community Survey, 18 % of youth aged 16 to 19 in Johnson County are not enrolled in school nor employed, notably higher than the state( 10.5 %) and national( 9.6 %) averages.
“ That makes you ask, where are they?” said Gracie Gray, REACH Council Johnson County coordinator.“ What barriers are causing them to get disconnected … and how can we as a community come together to reconnect them?”
The program focuses on four key components: one-on-one mentorship, peer support groups, skill-building workshops and pro-social activities.
Participants are paired with a peer advocate who meets them where they are— whether at a coffee shop, workplace or another convenient location— to set goals and build a plan for the future.
Support groups offer a space for participants to connect with others facing similar challenges, while workshops provide practical life skills. Topics range from financial literacy to basic life tasks like cooking, changing a tire or managing personal finances.“ I wish at 18 that I fully understood what a credit score was,” Gray said. Gray said that participants don’ t have to be in crisis to benefit from the program.“ It could be a straight-A student who just doesn’ t know what they want to do after high school,” she said.
By offering guidance, resources and consistent support, organizers hope
to bridge gaps that many young people face— especially those without stable support systems at home.“ Our goal is to help them become well-rounded citizens,” Gray said,“ and to make sure no one falls through the cracks.”
The program also rewards progress with activities that encourage continued engagement and growth.
Seeds to Success is part of Together We Grow, an initiative supported by a $ 250,000 Texas Health Community Impact grant designed to build resiliency and expand education and career pathways for youth and young adults in Johnson County.
“ Through focus groups, we learned that at the root of this youth disengagement was often a lack of three things: parental involvement and supervision, mental health resources, and access or even knowledge of existing community resources,” said Nikki Bowman, director of community programs for the REACH Council, the lead grantee.“ To address these barriers, Together We Grow has developed a peer support program to support youth who are disconnected from education and employment or at risk of becoming disconnected.” The initiative is a collaboration among REACH Council, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Johnson County, East Cleburne Community Center, Johnson County
Juvenile Services and Southwestern Adventist University.“ Research has shown that youth who are not in school or working are more likely to experience chronic unemployment, incarceration and poor mental health,” said Mandy Forbus, M. P. H., a Community Health Improvement director with Texas Health.“ But these outcomes are preventable when appropriate support systems are in place and that’ s why Texas Health is proud to be supporting Together We Grow.”
For information, visit reachacrosscommunities. org.
24 Community Life