Youth Interactive (YI) strives to break the cycle of poverty through after school ART-BASED educational programs that create engaging opportunities for at-risk youth to realize their potential and thrive personally, academically, and professionally. YI’s innovative model empowers teens with the real-life skills needed to succeed in school and beyond. Students work together in a micro business team which is aligned with their artistic interests and talents: jewelry making, painting/fine art, sewing, t-shirt design, or carpentry. Each student chooses a vocational skill they connect with, and together they build, market and sell products in our student-run store, and earn a paycheck while in school. In order to level the academic playing field for underserved youth and enable our students to graduate on time and access further education pathways, YI offers free wrap around services such as individualized 1:1 tutoring, support for college and financial aid applications, and job embedding.