Success of PROMISE Project Featured at National Press Club Event

Brent Thomas Williams participated in a presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Photo Submitted

Brent Thomas Williams participated in a presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Directors of the six projects that make up the federal initiative called "Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income," or PROMISE, gathered April 24 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. They presented the design, successes and challenges of PROMISE to an audience of federal and state policymakers. The presentation is available via webcast.

PROMISE is aimed at improving the career and education outcomes of low-income teenagers with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income by providing training and paid work experiences for them.

During the event, Brent Thomas Williams, associate professor of counselor education and principal investigator of Arkansas PROMISE, gave an overview of the population that PROMISE served and explained how that influenced the design of the project.

"We were dealing with some of the most marginalized folks within our county," said Williams. "This marginalization, this lack of resources, this lack of opportunities is what facilitates generational poverty. It's what facilitates ongoing reliance upon benefits; it's what generates isolation, what generates lack of community involvement. That was the population we were dealing with."

Williams described the main elements of the project design. "PROMISE worked because we developed relationships," he explained. "…From the start to the finish, it was about a holistic approach that was driven by the youth and the families, and in the end, provided them with an individualized, customized option, that we hope…can really make a long term impact on employment and education outcomes."

Arkansas PROMISE, which was funded with a total award of close to $36 million award from the U.S. Department of Education, lasted six years, from 2013-2019. Mathematica Policy Research, which evaluated the first 18 months of the PROMISE projects, found that Arkansas PROMISE expanded the share of Arkansas youth who receive guidance in the transition from school to work and increased the likelihood that their parents would also receive these kinds of services. Arkansas PROMISE has had a positive impact on the number of youth engaged in job training, and it increased the likelihood that participating youth had a paid job. The program also increased the total annual earnings of these youth by 164 percent, while decreasing participants' reliance on Social Security payments.

Contacts

Camilla Shumaker, director of science and research communications
University Relations
479-575-7422, camillas@uark.edu

Headlines

Four Students Named Goldwater Scholars; Two Earn Udall Honorable Mentions

Four U of A students have received the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, an award for top students in mathematics, science, and engineering.

Cross-Campus Collaboration Culminates in New Outdoor Geological Installation

Grand opening event to celebrate the new GeoLab installation at the U of A’s Gearhart Hall courtyard is set for May 3. The installation will be open to the public year-round.

First Students to Use Online Degree to Hone Nursing Leadership, Elevate Patient Care

Hanna Baxendale and Wendi Kimbrell will begin coursework in the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Executive Master of Business Administration program offered by the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing and Walton College.

Join the Office for Sustainability on a Final Cruise to Campus

Cruise to Campus Wednesdays have fostered a gathering space for individuals interested in biking to campus. Drop by the Old Main Lawn from 7:30-10 a.m. Wednesday for coffee, something to eat and conversation.

Fay Jones School Student Ambassador Program Gives Voice to Design Students

The student ambassador program at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design is built to connect top design students with their school, its alumni, its future students and others inside and outside the school.

News Daily