St. Petersburg is home to over 3,000 disengaged youth who are not employed or enrolled in school. City officials have taken a holistic approach to prevent and mitigate the problem.
Pinellas County School Board Chair Laura Hine called those efforts “incredible.” She and city council members heard an update on St. Petersburg’s myriad education and youth initiatives at a Sept. 4 committee meeting.
Dr. Sherron Brown, director of education and youth opportunities, provided an extensive update and a 31-page, data-driven report. She noted it “made sense” for the city to adopt the WHOLE child framework, an acronym that encompasses well-being, harmony, opportunity, leadership and empowerment…