Teens Act

Our Story

Teens Act is based in Provo, Utah. Annually we serve 85-100 underserved students and their parents at Provo, Independence and Timpview High Schools in the Provo School District.

We primarily serve students who are first generation college bound, are on the free or reduced lunch program (low-income) and have a low GPA (less than 2.5). Many programs focus on serving students who have maintained a relatively high GPA (at least 2.5+). These students have the greatest needs in their college and career readiness. This is why we focus on this group of students as they are at a greater risk of dropping out. This is what differentiates Teens Act from other programs. The Teens Act Higher Education Preparation Program contains three major services that together involve over 200 hours of high school student involvement per site:

1. Student Success Class: This is an approved elective taken during the day at participating high schools. In this class, our students receive assistance from mentors and through our curriculum improve their motivation, skills and self-confidence. They receive assistance with their homework, increase their GPAs, improve their study skills, go on college campus tours, engage in career exploration, are introduced to STEM and other careers, and hear motivational guest speakers from the community. Besides our class, we support students in other classes who need our services.

2. After School Tutoring: Mentors meet with Teens Act students after school in the library and on occasion at home to provide additional homework help, mentoring, tutoring and support. This allows our students to get the extra assistance they need outside of school hours.

3. Parent Support Program: Teens Act staff and parents collaborate to help our students succeed. This empowers the parents of our students with the knowledge, skills, and vision to nurture their students’ quest for higher education. These services are offered in Spanish for those whose primary Spanish speakers. Assigned mentors contact parents at least monthly to update them on their students’ progress as well as to address any specific needs, including tutorial assistance at home. We work with parent liaisons in the Provo District who provide additional support that the family may need.