The pandemic affected students on all levels. In this piece for Chalkbeat, writer Julian Shen-Berro explores how the pandemic influenced school completion.
Blog Articles

Amid teen mental health crisis, north Charlotte nonprofit is making a difference
Two years ago, Tiphanie Martin felt helpless. Her daughter Kiana was struggling with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. Martin had taken her to an inpatient facility and an outpatient facility, with little success.

Soup’s On! Youth Villages fundraiser benefits mentoring program
For many kids who have lived in challenging circumstances, having a supportive mentor can be a life-changing experience. The connection was on display Sunday, Feb. 19 as Youth Villages hosted its 34th annual Soup Sunday event.

LifeSet Program helps Katrina reach her goals
At just 20 years old, Katrina had walked a rocky road for most of her life. Due to domestic violence and verbal abuse, she was removed from her biological home.

New program in Arkansas helping young adults aging out of foster care
Turning 18 years old can be hard, but it can be even more challenging for people aging out of foster care who may not have a person to turn to for help. A new program that launched in Northwest Arkansas and the river valley is looking to change that.

Memphis Tigers football team learns to play African drums in team-building exercise
The University of Memphis Tigers football team marched to the beat of a different kind of drum Wednesday evening. Youth Villages partnered with the Tigers to teach them how to play an African drum.

We’re going to the Super Bowl!
The Tennessee Titans surprised one of our youth, a 17-year-old named Max, and his adoptive dad, Kevin, with a trip of a lifetime to Super Bowl LVII.

Meet Jeremy, the North Carolina youth selected as a Joey Logano Crew Member
Catherine Bergrud, a Family Support Partner in Asheville, North Carolina, goes above and beyond to help Jeremy live out his dream and supports them to overcome behavioral challenges. The Joey Logano Foundation continues their support of Youth Villages’ mission by providing kids like Jeremy with experiences of a lifetime.

Helping foster families succeed
The state of foster care in Tennessee is in crisis. More children than ever need temporary, safe homes compared to the amount of open foster homes. Nationwide, a child is placed into foster care every two minutes, so the need is great. In Tennessee, more than 8,000 kids are in the foster care system with only around 4,000 certified foster homes available.
One state looks to get kids in crisis out of the ER — and back home
When Haley was brought to the emergency department in October, she was one of 115 children and teenagers who went to a hospital emergency room in a mental health crisis and got stuck there.