About Us

Youth On Their Own (YOTO) is a dropout prevention program that supports the high school graduation and continued success of youth experiencing homelessness in Pima County.

It started with one counselor at one school.
In 1986, Amphitheater School District guidance counselor Ann Young noticed that talented, motivated students were dropping out of school because they were homeless and living on their own. She refused to accept that. She shared their stories with a group at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and the response was immediate: volunteers stepped up, and $80,000 was raised in a single morning.

It grew because the community showed up.
Teachers, counselors, volunteers, and families rallied around the cause. A gift from a New York City foundation launched a stipend program that reached far more students. Young then built the effort into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and a $100,000 Angel Charity grant for the stipend program in 1990 put YOTO on the map.

Today, we’re still doing the same thing.
For 40 years, YOTO has helped more than 20,000 students stay in school and pursue self-sufficiency. The mission hasn’t changed. We’re still continuing Ann’s vision and supporting youth in their efforts to graduate high school!