Mission: 

To ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming.

Our Vision: 

All teen parents and student parents, and their children, have every opportunity to succeed and are empowered to create a better future for themselves, our community, and our world. 

Our Programs:

Generation Hope’s Scholar Program helps teen parents earn their college degrees and secure thriving futures for their families by: 1) matching each scholar with a caring mentor; 2) providing in-depth case management; 3) identifying needed support services and making connections for Scholars related to school, health, financial aid, parenting, housing, domestic violence, and more; 4) offering in-depth, year-round career readiness programming; 5) providing in-house mental health services, including counseling and trainings; 6) hosting workshops and social events; 7) providing up to $2,400 per year in tuition support; 8) offering an emergency fund that assists Scholars through crisis situations. To identify and recruit young parents to our program, we conduct college-readiness workshops at high schools, social service agencies, and nonprofits that are serving expecting or parenting high school students or recent high school graduates. 

Next Generation Academy provides the children of our Scholars with: 1) monthly home visiting/case management to address individual needs; 2) developmental, literacy, and social-emotional screenings and interventions; 3) mental health counseling and resources; 4) access to high-quality early childcare; 5) monthly family dinners to build community and provide resources; and 6) matching with families in the community that will provide resources and connections to assist with family needs. 7) Emergency funding to scholars experiencing hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our Impact:

• Fewer than 2% of teen mothers earn a college degree before they turn 30, but Generation Hope Scholars’ graduation rate is on par with the national average for ALL college students, almost double the rate of low-income students and almost EIGHT TIMES the rate of single mothers nationwide. 
• The percentage of our Scholars employed and/or in graduate school within six months of graduation is more than 10 points higher than the average for ALL graduates in our region.
• ALL of our 2019 graduates were living above the poverty line within six months of graduation. 
• After one year in Next Generation Academy, over 90% of children are on track with age-appropriate social-emotional, cognitive, and motor development. 
• ALL parents with children in Next Generation Academy would recommend the program to a friend. 

Our Recognition: 

Generation Hope has been featured by Good Morning America, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, Inside Higher Ed, NBC Nightly News, the Aspen Institute, and more. 

Generation Hope was named a 2020 Example of Excelencia by the national organization Excelencia in Education for our commitment to increasing Latino student success in higher ed. In addition, Generation Hope was named by the Catalogue for Philanthropy as “One of the Best” nonprofits in the region, and we recently were recognized as one of the top nonprofits in the region by Impact Matters, which has done independent evaluations of the cost effectiveness and dollar-for-dollar impact of about 1,000 nonprofits nationwide. 

Furthermore, our CEO, Nicole Lynn Lewis, a recipient of the Black Voices for Black Justice Award, which “recognizes incredible leaders who have been on the frontlines working to dismantle the deep-rooted, racist systems that have plagued our country for centuries,” and the Boulder Fund award through Education Leaders of Color, which “supports the innovations of leaders of color in education.” She has received various awards, including being honored as a CNN Hero and the national grand prize winner of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Award, and has been featured on major news outlets including “Good Morning America,” CNN, “NBC Nightly News,” and The Washington Post.  In 2022, Nicole Lynn Lewis was recognized as a 2022 SOAR Fellow at The Aspen Institute for Women & Girls.

Nicole is also a nationally recognized author and speaker with her book, Pregnant Girl, released by Beacon Press in the spring of 2021, which was featured on NPR’s ‘Fresh Air’ and reviewed in The New York Times. Pregnant Girl was also named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2021.

From our Scholars:
“The mentors and friends that I have encountered within Generation Hope have taught me that 
I am powerful beyond measure.” - Chelsea

“Generation Hope has been a pillar for my family when we’ve reached our lowest and most vulnerable moments. They have been my lifeline as I pursue my post-secondary education.” – Ariel 

“I discovered Generation Hope through an Alumni. Generation Hope gave me a home, a safe place for me to always go where I don't ever feel judged. I no longer feel alone and I know for a fact that I am always loved and cared for. They literally are like family. It's life changing to know someone has your back at every turn.” – Christina

“Generation Hope paired me with a wonderful mentor, provided me with so much support for my son’s school, and helped find a stable environment where I can raise my son. I've been more focused and am receiving better grades. It's a great feeling when you know you have one person in your corner, but with Generation Hope you have a whole team rooting for your success.” – A’Ja