Young Parents. Real Progress. Lee County’s YPEP is Proof.
When Second Mile Education partnered with Lee County to take over the Young Parent Education Program, the goal was simple: give students who are also parents a real path to graduation. Just months in, students are crossing the finish line.
WINK News recently visited the program and spoke with students balancing newborns, jobs, and coursework. What they found were young people not just surviving the challenge — but thriving because of a model built around their lives.
YPEP’s self-paced, flexible structure has made the difference. Students who once felt frozen out of traditional school now see graduation as something within reach — and achievable quickly.
“I’m a single mother, so it’s difficult. They don’t just take care of my education. They take care of my baby. I’m really close to finishing this class, and it has helped me, because when you’re in regular school, you can’t really finish.” — Britany, YPEP Student
That momentum is contagious. Teacher Hagan described watching the room shift after YPEP’s first graduates walked: students who had been disengaged were suddenly leaning in, telling each other I’m next.
That’s what we believe in — students seeing themselves in someone else’s success story, and deciding to write their own.
Watch the full WINK News segment to hear directly from students, staff, and the Second Mile team driving this work in Lee County.
Read and watch the full story at WINK News: Young parent program in Lee County sees surge in student success