Media Contact

Liliana Baglieto (She/her)

Bilingual Marketing Manager

FAQ

  • New Pathways for Youth is a Phoenix-based organization building a future where every young person can live their life with joy and purpose, confident in their ability to decide their own path.
  • Our Level Up program provides 1:1 mentoring with a dedicated adult and a proven program for personal growth, including tailored goal-setting and connection to vital resources, all within a supportive peer group.
  • We provide a cohesive and comprehensive support system; every one of our youth and mentor matches has a dedicated program coordinator supporting them every step of the way. Outside of our signature 1:1 mentoring program, we also serve youth in the classroom through Level Up Academy, and our fast-growing scholarship program enables more and more youth in our program to pursue post-secondary opportunities each year.
  • As a result, we’re transforming the lives of youth by providing the support, stability, and skills they and their families need to flourish.
  • Our Level Up program serves 300+ youth annually. Since our founding in 1989, we have served over 7,000 youth in our community.
  • We serve Phoenix area youth facing poverty and three times the adversity of their peers. The youth we serve are:
    • Ages 13 to 21
    • Face extreme poverty
    • Live in low-income, high-need neighborhoods
    • 94% BIPOC
    • 30% identify as LGBTQ+ and/or gender non-conforming
    • Have an ACE score of 3 or higher (ACE = adverse childhood experiences)
  • In Arizona, 44.4% of youth ages 12 to 17 have experienced two or more ACES, compared to the national average of 30.5%.
  • ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences, include abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. ACEs are proven to negatively impact brain development, resulting in social, emotional, and cognitive obstacles such as:
    • Long-term health problems
    • High-risk behaviors
    • Shortened life expectancy
  • These can harm youths’ relationships, academic and career development, and personal well-being – in addition to preventing them from being able to meet their basic needs.
  • To be able to reach their full potential and lead joyful, purposeful lives, youth require a safe, nurturing environment and sufficient care and support.
  • Our Level Up program is holistic and tailored to each and every youth we serve. We focus on all aspects of our youth’s inner development and outer environments, honing in on three key aspects: relationships, education, and employment.
  • We develop a custom plan for each youth, including personalized action planning to meet short- and long-term goals and match them with the mentor who is the best possible fit for them.
  • In addition to helping them build positive, healthy relationships, we give them the tools and opportunities to achieve academic and professional success.
  • Furthermore, we connect them with resources like healthcare, emergency relief, and more to provide them with security and stability and ensure their basic needs are met.

Finally, we support not just the youth, but their families. We make sure the parents, guardians, and families of our youth have what they need to thrive.

  • Our holistic, research-based program is proven to generate remarkable outcomes for the youth we serve – from improved mental health and personal wellness to academic success and greater high school graduation rates. We give them the tools and resources to not only achieve safe, healthy lives, but find fulfilling career paths, seize new opportunities, and enhance their relationships with their families, peers, and all those around them.
  • With the support of the entire New Pathways community, youth are able to transform their lives and confidently find their own path to fulfillment.
    • 95% of our youth graduate high school.
    • 80% go on to continued education and training, 75% of which are of the first generation in their family to do so.
    • All of our youth report improved personal wellness and mental health.
  • Additionally, every dollar invested in New Pathways translates to as much as a $30 return for our community by preventing future spending on costly social and criminal justice services.

We would love to give you more information or discuss the biggest crises facing Arizona youth and what we’re doing to solve them. Please get in touch with us at npfy.org/contact.

Latest Press Releases

February 3, 2025

Meet Trish Anderson: A Commitment to People and Culture 

Phoenix, AZ. February 3, 2025.-  At New Pathways for Youth, our work is rooted in relationships, well-being, and intentionality. From the youth we serve to the dedicated team that drives ...

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February 7, 2025

Stories of Transformation 2025

Join us for an inspiring morning as we gather to celebrate profound transformations made possible through mentorship. This event will showcase the life-changing journeys of our mentors and mentees through ...

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January 14, 2025

PATHWAYS! January 2025

What We Accomplished Together in 2024 We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! As we look forward to 2025 with excitement, we’re also looking back on what an incredible ...

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Invite the NPFY Leadership Team to Inspire Your Audience

Bring the expertise and passion of New Pathways for Youth’s leadership team to your next event! Whether it’s a company gathering, educational seminar, or conference, our leaders deliver powerful insights on youth development, philanthropy, and the transformative role of community organizations in building a brighter future. With years of experience and impactful stories of change, our speakers will inspire, educate, and motivate your audience to make a meaningful difference. Let’s spark a conversation about creating pathways to success for youth and strengthening the fabric of our communities—together.

Dr. Karen D. Johnson

President & CEO

An experienced leader and nonprofit executive, Dr. Karen D. Johnson has spent her career advancing organizations dedicated to…

Nina Franco

Bilingual Youth Enrollment Manager

Alejandrina “Nina” Franco is the Bilingual Youth Enrollment Manager at New Pathways for Youth (NPFY), where she leads the enrollment…

Vanesa Contreras Rodriguez

Bilingual Vice President of Programs and Impact

Vanesa (Vané) Contreras Rodríguez, M.Ed., is a dynamic and accomplished leader in the field of education and youth development…

John Patris-Browne

Vice President of Philanthropy and Strategy

John Patris-Browne is a dynamic nonprofit leader and strategic philanthropist with over a decade of experience dedicated…

Farrah Fiegener

Director of Marketing and Mentor Recruitment

Farrah Fiegener is an inspirational leader and marketing and communications strategist. With a career rooted in development…

Mark Garcia

Director of Curriculum and Training

Mark Garcia’s charismatic personality is infectious, captivating the interest and attention of both adult volunteers and young…

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Become a Mentor: Help Us Find Volunteer Mentors

Transform a life – as well as your own!

Transform a life – as well as your own!

As a Level Up mentor, you’ll help youth facing poverty and 3x the adversity of their peers find the support, stability, and skills they need to flourish – all the while, learning and growing alongside them!

Transform lives!

Transform lives!

By becoming a Level Up mentor, you’ll not only transform a young person’s life in your community – you’ll transform your own.

Make a Difference!

Make a Difference!

Did you know that the #1 key for youth overcoming adversity and poverty is the support of a caring, stable, and nurturing adult – someone like you?

Be the mentor you wish you had!

Be the mentor you wish you had!

YOU can help give teens the tools and resources to not only achieve safe, healthy lives, but find fulfilling career paths, seize new opportunities, and enhance their relationships with their families, peers, and all those around them. Become a mentor!

Share our impact: Amplify our outcomes & achievements

Youth Outcomes – Graduation/Education

Youth Outcomes – Graduation/Education

Our Level Up mentorship program is research-based and proven to generate remarkable outcomes for teens. 95% of our youth graduate high school and 80% go on to continued education and training, 75% of which are of the first generation in their family to do so.

Well-Being and Mental Health

Well-Being and Mental Health

Each year, an independent research firm surveys our youth and mentors. These studies reveal that 100% of Level Up youth experience enhanced personal well-being and health, as well as a reduction in harmful thinking and behaviors.

Good Results for the Entire Family

Good Results for the Entire Family

Through our Level Up mentorship program, we support not just youth, but their families. We make sure the parents, caregivers, and families have what they need to thrive, filling in resource gaps and providing any additional support needed. In Caregivers Circle, an optional workshop for parents and guardians, we provide a space for caregivers of teens to connect with and learn from one another, as well as learn some of the curriculum their youth are learning so they can reinforce these teachings at home.

Holistic approach to mentorship

Holistic approach to mentorship

Our Level Up mentorship program is holistic. We focus on all aspects of our youth’s inner development as well as their outer environments, focusing on three key aspects: relationships, education, and employment. In addition to helping them build positive, healthy relationships, we give them the tools and opportunities to achieve academic and professional success. Furthermore, we connect them with resources like healthcare, emergency relief, and more to provide them with security and stability and ensure their basic needs are met.

Share Your Support: This is How We’re Making a Difference

Support our Fundraising: Help us Elevate our Cause

Change lives – donate today!

Change lives – donate today!

Research shows that a stable, nurturing relationship with a committed adult is the most effective way to combat the challenges youth who deal with adversity face. Your donation to NPFY goes directly toward helping us match more youth with caring, committed mentors who will be actively present in their lives, equipping them with the support, stability, and skills they need to flourish. Give today to positively transform lives in our community!

Uplift youth in our community!

Uplift youth in our community!

When you donate to New Pathways for Youth, you transform the lives of teens facing poverty and adversity by providing them with the support, stability, and skills they need to overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Your generosity helps build a future where every young person can live their life with joy and purpose.

There’s more than one way to make an impact!

There’s more than one way to make an impact!

There are many ways to make a lasting impact with New Pathways for Youth! Whether you choose to make a one-time donation, become a monthly donor, or explore legacy giving, your generosity empowers youth facing adversity to overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. Every contribution helps us provide the resources and support our youth need to thrive.

Your donation can transform lives!

Your donation can transform lives!

Youth require a safe, nurturing environment and sufficient care and support to be able to reach their full potential and lead joyful, purposeful lives. You can provide that for youth facing adversity in our community. With every dollar you give to New Pathways, you’ll help us reach more youth and transform lives by providing them with the support, stability, and skills they need to flourish.

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