Occupational Training

• Grants are available to fund programs teaching disadvantaged teens occupational skills to prepare them for independent living. One example is the YouthBuild program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At-risk youths between the ages of 16 to 24 attend YouthBuild to learn and work. As part of the YouthBuild program, teens rehabilitate homes and housing units that will be occupied by low-income or homeless families.
  
  

For Homeless Teens

• Homeless teens can seek temporary housing funded by government grants. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sponsors the Transitional Living for Homeless Youth program. Grants provide homeless teens with housing, food, clothes and counseling services. Another program, Second Chance Living, funded by HHS and HUD, provides pregnant teens, teenage mothers and their children with places to live.
  
  

Education

• Grants to schools and community organizations help prevent disadvantaged teens from dropping out of school, and help dropouts to receive an education. The Department of Education (DOE) sponsors the Dropout Prevention grant program, which helps high schools with high dropout rates to implement dropout and reentry programs. The Department of Labor (DOL) sponsors the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) grant program which helps community organizations to prepare teens and young adults aged 14 to 21 for post-secondary education. Private companies also sponsor grants to finance high school dropout-prevention programs. AT&T’s Aspire Initiative funds several programs attempting to reverse the dropout trend by getting students excited about education and setting goals.
  
  

Post-Secondary Grants

• The federal government and private companies award grants to help teens pay for post-secondary education. DOE funds the Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) programs which award need-based grants to students to cover room, board, books and tuition. Teenagers who work for companies such as Verizon, UPS and Wal-Mart can receive tuition assistance to attend college. Verizon also awards grants up to $20,000 to workers whose children need financial assistance to attend post-secondary institutions. Parents should check with their employers for similar opportunities.