In a recent article from Institute for Family Studies, researchers shared policy recommendations to help American youth understand and implement the Success Sequence, a life plan that includes completing the following steps in order: graduate from high school, find a full-time job, and wait to have children until after marriage. Ninety-seven percent of young people who follow this sequence avoid poverty. Researchers recommend that public education should prioritize teaching the Success Sequence to help future generations thrive.

Funding the promotion of the Success Sequence in our schools and in the public square would be a great state budget item with long-term benefits. We need to build a culture that encourages young people to follow the Success Sequence. Young people who finish school, work hard, and build families through marriage are foundational for a strong state and nation.