1 in 5 American children live in poverty
20% of kids grow up in families making less than $26,600/year. That means sleeping in cars, going hungry at school, and forgoing even rudimentary health care.

Childhood poverty has severe long-term impact
Occurring at a critical developmental time, childhood poverty puts kids at greatly increased risk of numerous adverse events:
· Incarceration: 57% of jailed men and 72% of jailed women lived below the poverty line prior to incarceration.
· Alcohol/drug abuse: Living in poverty increases the risk of substance abuse disorder. This is a direct result of increased anxiety, hopelessness, exposure to illicit drugs, and decreased self-esteem, social support, and access to health care.
· Mental health challenges: Due to the frequency and intensity of stressors and lack of social support, childhood poverty greatly increases the likelihood of depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, eating disorders, and PTSD. Yet less than 15% of children in poverty needing mental health care receive the services they need.
· Violence and physical trauma: Unaddressed trauma worsens quality of life, makes it hard to rise out of poverty by posing barriers to success at school and work, and raises the likelihood of aggressive behavior.
· Educational shortfalls: Only 3.2% of consistently poor children are expected to complete college by the age of 25.

These challenges are interconnected, compounding, and cyclical
Obstacles beget more obstacles: ~90% of males and 80% of females incarcerated at youth develop a substance abuse disorder at some point in their lives. A criminal record limits future employment opportunities. Financial stress drives alcohol and drug use, in turn threatening school and work outcomes. Those with mental illness are more likely to experience poverty, but less likely – and less able – to seek help.
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Childhood poverty means a bleak future
A study of 18,000 individuals who lived at least half of their adolescent lives in poverty revealed that only 16% became “successful young adults”.

And it creates a massive social and economic toll
The impact of 84% of poor children failing to succeed in life is nearly beyond measure. The US government spends $360 billion annually on support programs for individuals and families facing hardships. Large portions of the $450 billion dollars distributed annually to Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is connected to poverty. The US Department of Justice spends more than $80 billion yearly on mass incarceration.

Impoverished children need a bridge to a better future
Many young Americans haven’t just lacked the chance for a better life, they don’t even know what better looks like. They haven’t been exposed to stable home lives, strong role models, or employment pathways.

The Semita Project provides positive exposure and tools for change
‍Our mission is to break generational cycles of poverty by providing immersive mentorship experiences to impoverished adolescents. Our program focuses on three pillars:
1. Home: a calm, stable, supportive home life with a host family
2. Work: summer employment and a work mentor to learn new skills and build a foundation for future employment
3. Recreation: new athletic and social outlets to boost self-esteem, increase social intelligence, build physical fitness, and manage stress
Participants are engaged in new surroundings, activities, and social groups – providing novel experiences and previously unavailable opportunities to discover new pathways in life.