Buying a book and a latte just got more socially conscious–that is, if you’re shopping at More Than Words (MTW), a used bookstore and café located in a bustling shopping district in the leafy Boston suburb of Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 2004 by Executive Director Jodi Rosenbaum Tillinger, when MTW shoppers buy the latest bestseller, their purchase supports a social enterprise that’s changing the educational and employment futures of young people in the community.

MTW’s 35 employees are young people between the ages of 16-21 who’ve been court involved, homeless or in foster care, and are referred by social workers, school counselors, and probation officers. The statistical futures for these kids aren’t promising. For youth “aging out” of some form of pricey state custody, over 60% lack either a GED or a high school diploma. Tillinger is especially outraged over what happens with kids coming from foster care. “It’s a complete waste of time to spend $70,000 a year to put kids in a group home, and then at 18 we say ‘bye-bye’ and put them out with nothing,” she says.

A referral doesn’t guarantee a job at MTW though. Just like in the real world, applicants need to put together a resume, letter of interest and go through a rigorous group interview process led by existing MTW employees. Once hired, they get what MTW calls a “Business” job and a “You” job. Both rely on the MTW guiding principles of empowering young people through high expectations, giving them a youth-driven entrepreneurial spirit, and fostering a sense of community.

For the “Business” job, each young person receives a small group training in trade paperbacks, financial forecasting, and running a cash register. Tillinger says the biggest challenge for new employees is showing up for work on time, but she holds them accountable. “If they’re late three times, they’re done. If they miss a shift, they’re done,” she says. Over 50% of the youth who start at MTW lose the opportunity because they don’t meet expectations, but over 90% of them reapply to come back.

While working at their “You” job, employees are required to set goals around taking care of themselves so they can get back on the road to higher education and gainful employment. “They even have to learn basics like how to get a bank account and how to get identification,” says Tillinger.

Tillinger’s passion for youth developed during college summers spent working with juvenile attorneys. Post- graduation, she taught elementary school in Houston and Augusta, Georgia, but didn’t forget her juvenile justice roots. When a friend found a box of abandoned books and turned a profit selling them online, Tillinger realized a virtual bookstore could be a great opportunity for young people. An initial online site managed with four teenage employees quickly morphed into the physical store and café on Moody Street.

The café even hosts a monthly open mic that earned a gold star award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council–but the idea didn’t come from Tillinger. “I’m not nearly that cool,” she says. Instead, the young people she employs came up with it.

Tillinger’s youth have achieved impressive results. In 2009, 73% of MTW employees or alumni either met or were on track to attain goals like obtaining a high school diploma or GED, or attending trade school or college. The business is also a financial success. Last year’s group of employees earned $120,000 in wages.

“We aren’t doing the beg-a-thon,” Tillinger says. “My first ask isn’t money. It’s come by More Than Words and buy a book, buy a latte. It’s an actual business that allows young people to engage in the community instead of lurking in shadows.”