Youth

Female student in school
Mercy Corps’ informal education classes helped Abeer get caught up on missed schooling after arriving in Jordan from Syria.

Nearly 1.3 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 19 are making their way in this world. They are brimming with hope, using innovative technologies, grappling with constantly evolving challenges, and charting the way forward. The vast majority live in less developed countries where they are confronted with unprecedented social, economic, and cultural shifts that impede their ability to contribute to growth and stability. Young people confront these challenges at a time when their own psychological and physical development is undergoing rapid change. In many places where we work, they face daily risks and obstacles in their homes and communities, often without social support systems.

That’s why we work to provide young people with the tools, resources, and services they need to succeed and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities. We provide social and emotional support to address high levels of stress. We connect them with job training and opportunities that are demand driven. We create safe spaces that serve as refuges from difficult and dangerous circumstances. And we partner with tech start-ups to create and scale digital employment solutions for youth.

The choices that young people make today and in the future—influenced by the people and events around them—will contribute to the possibility for peace, stability, and progress. We choose to be their partners in making that possibility a reality.

For more technical details on our youth-focused programmes, please download our approach documents on how we work with youth, employment, or digital jobs solutions.