Four leading-edge Opportunity Youth Forum communities will scale effective place-based strategies to further reduce the number of young people who are out of school and work
Washington, DC, August 5th, 2024 – The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions’ Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF), a national network, collaborative and fund, announced a new $6 Million investment in pathways for opportunity youth (OY) – defined as youth and young adults, 16-24 years of age, who are neither enrolled in education nor engaged in the workforce.
Having recently celebrated 10 years of investing in interventions aimed at accelerating outcomes for opportunity youth, this year, the OYF and its partners build on their decade of impact by renewing their commitments through a new 10-year plan to reduce OY numbers in half by 50% by 2033. There are currently approximately 5 million opportunity youth in the U.S., and approximately 1 million of these young people live in OYF’s 40+ urban, rural, and Indigenous communities. Their lack of access to education and career pathways comes at a great personal cost and includes long-term social, civic, and economic costs to society.
“Today’s challenges are also enormous opportunities to intentionally engage our rising generations – youth, young adults, and young professionals – in the design of practical, sustainable solutions,” said Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. “Aspen Institute initiatives like the OYF enhance the leadership and civic engagement journeys of rising generations and elevate their voices as a part of our collective efforts to create a more free, just and equitable society for all.”
As part of a larger 3-year investment by Ballmer Group, $6 million will go directly to four leading-edge OYF communities to scale effective place-based strategies to reduce further the number of young people who are out of school and work. The four communities that OYF selected to be part of this Scaling Youth Outcomes Cohort are:
- Boston Opportunity Youth Collaborative: Boston Private Industry Council, Boston Opportunity Agenda
- Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative: Colorado Youth for a Change
- Greater Houston Opportunity Youth Collaborative: Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries (ACAM)
- Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative: Alliance for Children’s Rights
“Meeting OYF’s audacious goal to dramatically reduce the number of young people who are disconnected from education and work opportunities will take more than a single great program – it will take communities working together across nonprofits, government, schools, businesses, and philanthropy; staying focused on a common goal; using data to improve service-delivery and policies; and trusting young people who are most impacted to help lead the development of solutions,” said Celine N. Fejeran, Senior Portfolio Manager who oversees Ballmer Group’s OYF investment. “Across the country, these types of partnerships prove that change is possible. Ballmer Group is proud to support their collective efforts to ensure more young people have a path to economic mobility.”
OYF’s decade-long journey has been marked by successful partnerships with urban, rural, and Indigenous communities, all with the common goal of expanding pathways to reconnect opportunity youth and transform systems to enhance educational and employment outcomes. OYF is deeply committed to expanding its scaling efforts and investments to further deepen its place-based impact from ‘some, to many, to most, to all’ communities and OY across the nation.
Together, we can make a lasting impact by improving the lives and futures of youth and young adults, as well as the fabric of our communities and nation, shaping a brighter future for all.
“Achieving the future we all deserve requires an investment in every youth and young adult so that they are meaningfully supported to belong, make meaning of their lived experience in ways that enliven their wellbeing and purpose, and ultimately thrive. This investment in impact will accelerate this vision in transformative ways,” said Monique Miles, Director, Opportunity Youth Forum.
For additional information, please contact Steve Patrick at steve.patrick@aspeninstitute.org, Monique Miles at monique.miles@aspeninstitute.org.
About the Opportunity Youth Forum
The Opportunity Youth Forum began in 2012 (as the “Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund”) at the Aspen Forum for Community Solutions to leverage momentum coming out of the White House Council for Community Solutions. It is comprised of a network of urban, rural, and Indigenous communities seeking to scale multiple reconnection pathways that achieve better outcomes in education and careers for opportunity youth. Approximately one-quarter of all opportunity youth in the U.S. live in the areas in and around Opportunity Youth Forum communities. Learn more at aspencommunitysolutions.org and @AspenFCS
About the Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has a campus in Aspen, CO, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
About Ballmer Group
Ballmer Group works to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. It supports the use of data and strong partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit organizations at the community level to more effectively serve families. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist and civic activist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Twitter: @BallmerGroup
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