The Young People's Project Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The math literacy worker (mlw) development model the heart of ypp is its cascading near-peer instructional model, which recruits and trains high school and college students from under-resourced communities to serve as math literacy workers (mlws). These young people are not just tutors; they become "agents of empowerment" who provide math development and leadership for their younger peers in grades 3-8. The developmental pipeline includes: intensive training: all mlw's receive a minimum of 20 hours in their initial training. Lead mlws receive 60 to 120 hours of hands-on learning within the math and computational thinking lab (mctl) in cambridge, or in ypp training centers nationally, focusing on pedagogy, computational thinking, and workshop facilitation. Professional certification: mlws earn digital badges for competencies like conceptual flexibility, leadership, and empathy, explicitly linking their work to high-demand stem career pathways. Paid employment: recognizing that financial security is a barrier, ypp provides paid stipends or hourly wages, which has been shown to benefit "at-risk" youth even a decade after high school. Measurable outcomes and impact metrics ypp utilizes a combination of satellite, map, and street data to prove the efficacy of its model. Recent outcomes include: academic excellence: 100% of high school mlws graduate on time and 85% enroll in college. Math mastery: 90% of mlws improve their own math content scores after participating in the program. Student growth percentile (sgp): in 2025, ypp 8th graders achieved an mcas growth percentile of 83.1, vastly outperforming non-ypp peers who averaged 68.1. Mcas gains: low-income ypp 7th graders outperformed their district peers across all five mcas math domains, with differences ranging from 6 to 21 percentage points. Mindset shifts: over 70% of mlws report a positive affect for math, reporting reduced math anxiety and increased self-confidence. Street data: highlights and narratives the "street data" framework captures the qualitative shift in identity that occurs through the program. An mlw, highlighted this transformation: "ypp has taught me the importance of listening-not just hearing, but truly understanding... Being a leader here means more than making decisions; it's about stepping back, letting others share ideas, and doing what's best for the group". Other highlights include: teacher observations: educators note that mathematical practices, such as "critiquing the reasoning of others," occur naturally in ypp's peer-to-peer settings where mlws frame questions rather than just providing answers. ? Parental feedback: one parent observed that her daughter, who previously viewed math as a "nightmare," began "thinking like a mathematician- and regained her confidence after joining ypp. ? Leadership legacy: the organization's senior leadership team is composed of individuals who have been with ypp for 10 to 26 years, many starting as middle or high school students themselves, illustrating the long-term stability and deep community roots of the model. Core programs 1. Flagway focus: an embodied math "sport" played on a giant floor structure where students master number sense, prime factorization, and algebraic substitution through movement and teamwork. Mission alignment: democratizes high-quality math learning by transforming "gatekeeper" content into a joyful, community-celebrated sport. Outcomes: aim for 95% of participants to demonstrate increased math proficiency; ensure 83% high attendance for middle school students receiving 29 hours of enrichment. ? Tangible impact metrics: participants average a 21% gain in pre/post content test scores; paus participants achieved an mcas growth percentile of 70.8, 14.3% higher than peers. Quote/narrative: an mlw shared: "math wasn't always my favorite subject but learning flagway made it more fun... Learning flagway gave me confidence- not just in math but in other subjects too". ? Highlight: a cambridge princi

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.6%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 77.8%; rating input score 78
• Fundraising efficiency: $15.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -16.5%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings