A new report by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health found that Latino youth in Montgomery County express high academic motivation, high academic expectations, and a positive outlook for the future, but that they become markedly less optimistic as they get older because of significant barriers to success in their studies, work, and life.

In The Promise of Latino Youth in Montgomery County, researchers say that Latino youth in Montgomery County are exceptionally vulnerable, citing downward trends in school performance, as well as poverty, and high rates of adversity and psychological distress. As a result, the authors say that there is a “breach in the compact between a community and its youth to help them achieve their highest potential.” Click here to access the report.