Youth are a community’s and a country’s most precious asset. They are our future leaders, our innovators, our hope for tomorrow. The health of a community can be measured in part by the health, well-being, and resilience of its youth. The extent to which teens and young adults are pursuing their education and connecting to employment is another important indicator.

Yet an estimated 80,000 teenagers and young adults in the Bay Area are neither working nor enrolled in an educational institution. And many more are at high risk of joining this statistic, particularly youth involved in the foster care or juvenile justice systems. These youth are commonly referred to as “disconnected youth” or, more optimistically, “opportunity youth.”

Many opportunity youth grow up in poverty and do not come from stable homes. A disproportionate number are current and former foster youth, homeless youth, victims of sex trafficking, youth in the juvenile justice system, and low-income youth of color. Many are experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from exposure to neglect, poverty, abuse, or violence. This makes it challenging to succeed in school, which impacts employment options and earning potential down the road.

Despite these obstacles, opportunity youth remain largely optimistic about their future and confident in their ability to achieve their goals. They have talents and leadership qualities. If given the chance, they will contribute to their communities and our society in unique ways. It is for this belief in themselves and the potential they hold for our society that we call them opportunity youth.

There are widespread consequences when such a large number of youth are not accessing their full potential, both for the youth themselves and for society at large. Disconnected youth earn less, experience much higher unemployment, and report poorer health than their connected peers. And not just when they are young -- these discrepancies persist 13-15 years later.  

Source: Measure of America

Since opportunity youth are also more likely to have children earlier, disconnection has an impact on two generations. Disconnected females are nearly four times more likely to be young mothers than their connected peers. Unless the pattern is disrupted and opportunity youth can get back on track, their children are likely to grow up in similar life circumstances as their parents, repeating a cycle of poverty for the next generation.

Disconnection also impacts the larger society and is costly to taxpayers. One study estimated a lifetime cost burden to society of $900,000 per youth when adding up government financial assistance, medical care, and unemployment costs, as well as lost tax revenues and costs to the criminal justice system due to higher involvement.

Supporting youth who have become disconnected, or are at high risk of becoming so, is imperative not only for the benefits that accrue to the individual but also for society. When we invest in our most vulnerable youth, we realize the potential that can be achieved when all youth succeed.

Battery Powered is interested in funding strategies that speak to the complexity of issues opportunity youth face. Three strategies will guide our approach across this theme:

Reinforce a holistic approach. The most successful programs work with opportunity youth to coordinate a range of services that meet their social and emotional needs as well as provide on-ramps to school and job opportunities. While some organizations focus on one aspect on this continuum, we want to acknowledge the importance of solutions working together to benefit opportunity youth.

Support policy and systems change. Public systems are often siloed and do not work together in a coordinated way to support our most vulnerable youth. Advocacy and creative pilot programs are two areas where philanthropy is well positioned to encourage collaboration. A philanthropic injection of funding to unlock greater public dollars is another approach where we can be catalytic.

Ensure youth are at the center of the conversation. To truly transform the systems that impact opportunity youth, they need to be engaged in developing solutions. We will prioritize work where youth with lived experience inform the systems designed to serve them and play a key role in decision-making.

We are focusing on three sub-themes that speak to the underlying needs of opportunity youth:

Relationships & Support. Due to past trauma, many opportunity youth face challenges regulating emotions, managing stress, and forming healthy relationships. Mentorship, coaching, and mental health services can help young people gain confidence, form trusting relationships, and develop the soft skills necessary to be successful in life.

Resources & Services. Opportunity youth need access to resources and services that provide a safety net and greater stability in their lives. In the Bay Area, affordable housing, child care, and transportation are key barriers. Without their basic needs met, it is difficult for youth to focus beyond day-to-day survival.

Education & Employment. Opportunity youth need easy on-ramps to alternative education and/or job training where they can get back on track to complete a degree or gain job skills. Ongoing support can ensure opportunity youth are successful in continuing their education and retaining employment.  

We are grateful to the Walter S. Johnson Foundation which provided expert advice and resources in the development of this Issue Brief.