In 1988, troubled by a dramatic rise in juvenile crime in Atlanta accompanied by a significant drop in funding for juvenile intervention and support programs, a committed group of individuals formed Atlanta Youth at Risk (later becoming YES!Atlanta) to help stem the loss of a vital national resource - our youth.

For over eighteen years,YES!Atlanta's mission has been to alter the direction of the lives of   “at-risk" teenagers in metropolitan Atlanta so they will become self-sufficient, productive citizens of their community instead of statistics.   We do this by providing a structured, performance based mentoring curriculum designed to support youth in non-violent, non-criminal activity, educational advancement, and life skills -- all to help them better resist the negative pressures of their environment.

We currently offer two programs that impact the performance of “at risk” youth:

• Rising Star
• Coaching for Success

Participation in our programs is completely voluntary and requires a commitment from each young person to put their lives on the right track.   Delivered free of charge to participants,YES!Atlanta's programs and services are largely volunteer-based, and are funded through the generosity of individuals, corporations, agencies, and private foundations who believe in the value of what we are doing.

Over the years, YES!Atlanta has been acknowledged for the effectiveness of its Rising Star Program, including being named a national "Point of Light" by President George H.W. Bush.

Detailed information on each of our programs is available here .