Alternative High School Initiative

The Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI) is a network of youth development organizations with over 258 sites nationwide committed to creating educational opportunities for young people for whom traditional school settings have not been successful. AHSI was launched in 2003 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a response to the growing national trend of diminishing high school graduation rates affecting this country’s youth. Composed of twelve intermediaries with innovative program models and two conveners, AHSI collaborates with local communities to sustain safe, top quality high schools for vulnerable youth (See Section I). Important information about AHSI is available at http://www.ahsi.info which also has links to each AHSI organization’s website. The young adults involved in AHSI have formed Organized Youth for Educational Alternatives (OYEA), and their website is located at http://www.oyea.info.