To harness the intelligence and positive energy of low-income young people to rebuild their community and their lives.

Children & Youth , Youth Development Programs

Opportunity youth network in partnership with the newark public schools (nps)ybn established the city-wide opportunity youth network (oyn), an innovative youth-focused initiative that advocates for and provides direct educational and support services for opportunity youth throughout the city of newark putting them on a path to academic attainment and economic security. As part of this initiative, ybn continued to provide technical support and professional services to its partner schools, newark leadership academy (nla) and fast track success academy (ftsa) (now uplift academy)both alternative vocational high schools that serve the same population as ybn. Both schools are designed based upon ybns evidence-based youth development model. The following are components of the model being highlighted: leadership, rigorous and relevant education, and college and career placement. Each school averaged an estimated 125-student enrollment. Part of the oyn is the re-engagement center (rec) that serves as a hub/clearinghouse for out-of-school youth wanting to re-engage with the public school system or who are being transferred from a current school or from out of the district. Students are assessed at the rec and referred to the most appropriate educational fit (i. E. Ybn, its partner school or a participating community-based organization). Since its launch of november 2016, the rec processed 906 students, all of whom completed an intake/application. Most completed a social-emotional learning (sel) assessment, tabe assessment and participated in an on-boarding/acculturation process. The restorative center, a component of the oyn that provides academic and sel support to students who have been suspended, served seventeen (17) students to-date. u. S. Department of labor employment and training administration (youthbuild) agency's core program. Services are available to opportunity youth aged 16-24. Programmatic objectives include: re-engaging students who have dropped out of school and/or who's level of disengagement make them highly at-risk for academic and social failure, providing workforce skills and vocational training, and prioritizing community service as a means to achieve community revitalization. For the program year, the agency has participated in the substantial rehabilitation of four (4) units of low-income housing units. Accomplishments/statistics: following a mental toughness orientation that engaged an estimated 130 applicants, there were forty-nine (49) participants enrolled for the 2016-2017 program year, and continued follow-up services for the class of 2016. For fye 2017, the 2-year programmatic benchmarks included: 91 students enrolled overall, 77% received an industry-recognized certification, 44 students (out of those who needed a high school equivalency diploma) earned such; and 66% displayed grade-level increases in literacy and numeracy. construction services - the construction program is an extension of the educational and job training program wherein the participants are engaged in the construction of low-income housing and obtain hands on training and instruction. Some of the construction services provided generate revenue for the agency that is reinvested in its programming.