PROGRAM

On April 13, 2011, Hunter students participated in a special panel discussion hosted by Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, in cooperation with the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College.

Today’s young adults take far longer than their contemporaries did five decades ago to reach maturity – taking longer to leave home, attain economic independence, marry, and form families of their own. In large part, this shift is attributable to the increased importance of higher education in today’s skilled workforce. Participants discussed this new timeline, the challenges that young people experience as they become adults, and how these vary by race and socioeconomic status. The panelists explored how these longer transitions strain families and institutions that traditionally support young adults, including post-secondary education, the community, service organizations, and the workplace.

About the Speakers:

Frank Furstenberg Jr, the Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology and Research Associate in the Population Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania has written extensively on adult transitions, particularly for vulnerable youth.

Cecilia E. Rouse, the Theodore A. Wells ’29 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University concentrates on the economics of education, with a particular focus on post secondary education. She is the director of Princeton’s Education Research Section. She recently returned from a two year public service leave, working for President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors.