A new report from the Urban Institute explores the factors that can lead to economic success for children who are persistently poor, meaning that they spend at least half of their first 17 years in poverty. Escaping Poverty: Predictors of Persistently Poor Children’s Economic Success finds that nearly 12 percent of American children, more than half ofRead More

This report and accompanying interactive data tool aim to both deepen the conversation about out-of-work Americans and support local communities in their efforts to help these individuals find jobs. This particular resource focuses on adults ages 25 to 64 and offers YTFG a unique perspective into the struggles our young people will face, if they do not experienceRead More

A New York Times article highlights new research showing just how pervasive the problem of homelessness is for many college students. Last month, the Wisconsin HOPE Lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, released a study that surveyed students at 70 community colleges in 24 states. It found that 14 percent were homeless. Those findings build on aRead More

The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a set of materials designed for stakeholders to used directly and engage essential local partners in efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness. The three new resources discuss system planning, mainstream system collaboration, and promising programs, al with a focus on engaging key partners locallyRead More

Bob Rath’s career was launched in the youth field when he was still a youth. While in college, he got involved with a FIPSE-funded program with street academies to see if young people in alternative high schools would be interested in and succeed in alternative college. A stint working in community corrections drove him backRead More

Awardees will receive technical assistance to develop national models for Pay for Performance contracting in the area of youth workforce development. Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc. (Third Sector), a grantee of the Social Innovation Fund’s Pay for Success program, recently announced the selection of five awardees to receive federally funded technical assistance to assess theRead More

Open space. Throughout my interview with Kara Bobroff, founder of the Native American Community Academy (NACA) and the NACA Inspired Schools Network, I kept encountering open space. I would ask a follow-up question to a point she had made and then, instead of clarifying, she would pause and carve out an adjacent point, causing meRead More

As a nation, we have an economic mobility challenge that we can no longer ignore. Approximately 40% of Americans born near the bottom of the economic ladder remain trapped there as adults. The consequences of this situation are devastating. Many workers, especially those without credentials and skills, face stagnating or declining wages, and continue toRead More

David Bornstein recently published an opinion piece in the New York Times describing Thread, an organization providing support to struggling young people in Baltimore. Writes Bornstein:  “Recently, I learned about an organization that stopped me in my tracks and has forced me to re-evaluate my assumptions about what’s possible. It’s called Thread. It rallies volunteerRead More

While many young people around the country are struggling and economic opportunity often seems out of reach, effective summer youth employment programs can help address that concern. A new report from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Expanding Economic Opportunity for Youth through Summer Jobs delves into the issues around summer youth employment programs in cities across theRead More