The Reconnecting Youth Campaign

We’re calling on Congress to invest in America’s future by funding education, training, national service and employment opportunities for one million 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in school or work.

Our Mission

The Reconnecting Youth Campaign is a coalition championing policies and programs to reconnect Opportunity Youth across the country.

Across the United States, over 4.8 million 16- to 24-year-olds have been separated from pathways to productive adulthood. They are known as “Opportunity Youth,” both because they are seeking opportunities to provide for themselves and their families, and because they represent untapped potential for employers, communities and our economy.

our policy priorities

Our Work

The Reconnecting Youth Campaign remains at the forefront of legislative investment victories centering Opportunity Youth.

Since our launch in 2017, our advocacy has focused on working with elected officials to ensure youth and young adults disconnected from education and employment are prioritized in budget decisions, policies and programs. Equitable access to education, employment and service pathways lead to intergenerational economic mobility for youth, young adults, and their families.

The Reconnecting Youth Campaign is a coalition championing policies and programs to reconnect Opportunity Youth across the country.

Co-Facilitators

The Reconnecting Youth Campaign is a collaboration of more than 50 national organizations that care about and work on behalf of Opportunity Youth. It is co-facilitated by the following organizations, each of which has a longstanding commitment to young people, opportunity and equity:

Forum for Youth Investment

The Forum for Youth Investment ensures all young people — and the adults who support them — have what they need to thrive through stronger programs, informed policies, and systems that work better for everyone.
Jobs for the Future

Jobs for the Future (JFF) is a national nonprofit that drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all.
National Youth Employment Coalition

The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a national membership organization working to reconnect young people to the education and workforce systems through policy and advocacy, technical assistance, research, and place-based work.
YouthBuild Global

YouthBuild Global unifies and partners with the expansive network of 320 YouthBuild programs around the world, including over 240 domestically, championing Opportunity Youth as they achieve their ambitions and reach their full potential.
Opportunity Youth United

OYUnited is a national movement, led by and for Opportunity Youth, of young people and allies working to increase opportunity and decrease poverty in America.
Children's Defense Fund

The Children’s Defense Fund builds community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. We work alongside and amplify the power of youth and families through advocacy, community organizing, direct service, and public policy.
The Corps Network

The Corps Network advances programs that transform young people’s lives and communities through career development, conservation, and civic engagement through their 150+ Corps nationwide.
Young Invincibles

Young Invincibles empowers the next generation by amplifying young voices in the fight for affordable education, accessible health care, and meaningful career opportunities.
National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy

The TYP Collaborative brings together policy, advocacy, and activism to drive transformational change by and for young people through youth-led policymaking and power-building initiatives.