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Opportunity Youth Stakeholders Monthly Meeting

Icebreaker in the chat

Name, pronouns, office/org.

AND

What was happening the last time you laughed so hard that you cried? OR
What do you most want to hear about today?

February 28, 2022

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What emotions are you bringing into our conversation today?

Share in the chat

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Our Time Together Today

Topical presentations
Open discussion: Focused on Young People Address and ARPA
Reflect and close out

Welcome, overview
A poll about our purpose
DC state of play
Clarifying questions

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See responses to this question in the speaker notes for this slide

Response

Meeting and learning from practitioners, advocates, and policy experts

Build a broader movement to take action together

Updates and National information

Connecting with other orgs, being able to include Puerto Rico issues in other agendas, learn about best practices

This is my first meeting as I recently started at the California EDGE Coalition as their Program Director. A major component of my role is focusing on incorporating OY into our policy agenda (as our focus was primarily on adults before) and uplifting OY in California. I look forward to learning and partaking more in this coalition.

Sharing strategies to optimize opportunities for Opportunity Youth.

To keep apprised of policy developments in order best advocate for youth

I am interested in understanding how to support OY on a national level regarding policy and advocacy.

Find out how our TA organization can plug in to help states and localities expand opportunities for opportunity youth

Learn more about best practices

Looking for a broader, national overview of policies etc

Updates on policy and resources

Keep in touch with national OY work, since there's still not much meeting in person happening.

Concerned about the number of young people who seem to be disenchanted with life. I want to help find solutions.

Connecting. Learning. Contributing. Getting out of my SF Bay Area Bubble.

know what is emerging

Surround myself with thought leaders

To Learn Tips, Resources, & Hear From Others On Best Practices On Serving The Youth

Hear updates on what is going on in DC and to connect with much smarter folks.

An understanding of the Federal Landscape. Learning about OY movements happening in different areas.

Learn new opportunities and policies geared toward youth empowerment and employment

updates on policy and ways to advocate

OY Program Coordinator - looking for more opportunities / news / adaptation of policies I can bring back.

Learn trends from national lens. Coordinate and align efforts.

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See responses to this question in the speaker notes for this slide

Responses

Room for policy
message board/forum for questions and discussion
Is there a place on the web that can hold our work?
Conveying specific action opportunities to the group ahead of time, with this time used to agree to clarifying who will follow up.
More structure to updates; maybe key nat'l orgs all give brief, forward facing updates/next steps their organizations are working on? (then also time for all other groups to add to...)
Written notes
Youth presentations
Consider thinking about building a vision statement for each year. How are we moving toward that goal/vision statement?
What's our bigger strategy and where can we have an impact?
Officials
Short, pointed discussions around one topic at a time. Maybe sharing a success story and formulating new language.
Contact list
Smaller Sessions On "Hot Topics"
Focus on policy updates and then focus on dialogue to develop the NYEC advocacy position
I like the updates - I think a designated note taker would be great. Also would be great to get to know one another but that may be hard with the large group
explainers that are clear to me and others
Making space for a mix of lenses: looking at immediate policy windows and also developing long-term visions and strategies
Updates, resources. Guidance on how to bring this information back to our own organizations in order to be an agent of change.
Offer time in "Tracks" so that we can build momentum in certain areas over time.
Speakers
youth
dedicated notetaker , share out notes/resources (so can share with the rest of team)
great as is
A youth-led component
Resources to provide to my community and networks. Chances to engage with other policy leaders

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DC State of Play

Omnibus/approps (Danielle)

Value of full-year approps bill
Continuing resolution until March 11
Ukraine = good or bad for full-year appropriations?
President’s budget for FY23 = “late March”

BBB (Jo Ann)

House and Senate calendar priorities

COMPETEs Act/short-term Pell (Thomas)

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Topical Discussion

Young People Address
ARPA
Reconnecting Youth Campaign

Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison (OYCL) Application

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Young People Address:

RSVP Here: https://youngpeopleaddress.org/ 📣
use the amplify tool kit to spread the word: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NzvVqkK_Vle4ak1s6OQ0EKhyBo-a6PM55sdadfQlDpk/edit?usp=sharing
Sign on to the letter: https://youngpeopleaddress.org/2022/02/25/a-letter-from-young-people-to-the-nation/

Chat w/ Marlen: Marlen.joanne11@gmail.com

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We invite young leaders to join us as OYCLs this spring by applying here. Applications are due Wednesday, March 16th. �https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScH15INheXdJS9jwuz1rIEKlacVxEHlSTz3TuSWq16hQuQStA/viewform

Info about the program: https://forumfyi.org/oycl-program/

A blog about welcoming our OYCLs here: https://forumfyi.org/blog/welcoming-the-first-cohort-of-opportunity-youth-congressional-liaisons/

=================

Feel free to share the link and message below with your networks:

When it comes to conversations around #OpportunityYouth, young people deserve more than a seat at the table — they should be driving the conversation. Apply to level up your advocacy skills and join the Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison program. Congressional Liaisons will join online trainings, participate in short assignments and check-ins, and share their experiences with each other as they learn to be advocates for themselves and their communities, speaking up on behalf of Opportunity Youth to hold politicians accountable to the communities they serve. Congressional Liaisons will receive $2,000 throughout the course of the program upon completion of assignments. To apply, click here

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Open Discussion

Request to ask group and/or RYC for a sign-on letter for priorities about appropriations/FY23 - continue strategy about (Jo Ann + Dorthy)
RYC - circle back / update basic around policy agenda The Bridge to Reconnection was a formal analysis of what programs could be expanded to what level at what cost, done by Civic Enterprises, hired by JFF, SparkAction, and YouthBuild USA. It's a little out of date. We can send that Bridge to Reconnection to anyone who doesn't have it.

For whomever might be working on anything next on Bridge to Reconnection, at Aspen/OYF, we collect a fair amount of info from the 37 collaboratives we work with in terms of the specific funding sources that are in their communities for OY. So if you are considering expanding the list of fed/national OY funding sources, we may have some useful data to share. (Ken Thompson)

RYC - launched back in 2017 calling on Congress to increase pathways for OY youth,
(L.E.) - juvenile justice is a topic that’s top of mind // justice
(K.S. Youth Prize in MN) - how do we use this power/leverage power in different ways

what is the goal we have
how can individuals be leveraging their individual missions
what would be our results statement for these convenings/this work
what does that mean for us to work within states and local gov’t and how does it come back

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Closing

Please complete our feedback form. It will help us shape the next conversation.
Next conversation is March 28, 2022, same time and place (registration link to share with colleagues).

Stay in touch!

Jo Ann Paanio joann@forumfyi.org

Kathy Tran ktran@clasp.org

Thomas Showalter thomas.showalter@nyec.org

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Resources Shared during Meeting

Recording of this meeting
Young People Address:

RSVP Here: https://youngpeopleaddress.org/ 📣
Use the amplify tool kit to spread the word
Sign on to the letter
Chat w/ Marlen: Marlen.joanne11@gmail.com

Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaisons

Original Bridge to Reconnection report
Register for future monthly stakeholder updates

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Other Resources

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Build Back Better: Where It Stands

The size, scope and sequence of BBB….

Size: $1.75 trillion social spending package
Scope: investments in a number of areas ranging from jobs, education, caregiving, healthcare, housing, and climate including key priorities that will be critical to Opportunity Youth populations

general workforce development
workforce development for climate jobs
AmeriCorps investments

Sequence:

House passed BBB on Nov. 19th
Unlikely to be passed as one bill, pieces (including those we care about) may pass
Debate on hold for now

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The PROPOSED Build Back Better Act: How It Works for Young Adults*

Thomas Showalter (NYEC), Kathy Tran (CLASP), and Others for Opportunity Youth United

Taking Care of Family & Ourselves

Up to 4 12 weeks of paid leave for all workers
Lower prescription drug prices
Mental-health services

Raising Children

Free pre-kindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-olds
Affordable child care (<2% of income for low-income families)
Bigger Child Tax Credit = permanent

* Any of These Items Could Be Cut!

What We Are Most Focused On

Tackling Climate Change

Transition to clean electricity
Replace lead pipes
Electric vehicle chargers
$$$ for disaster preparation

Going to School

Tuition-free community college
Bigger Pell Grants
$$$ for HBCUs

Making Money

Job creation (new infrastructure jobs)
More $$$ for small biz incubators & accelerators
National service (Civilian Climate Corps)
Job training (workforce development $$$)

WORK

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BBB: Workforce Development Investments

Workforce Development (General)

$1.5B for WIOA Youth programming
$500M for Reentry Employment Opportunities (including $125M for competitive grants directed to “prepare for employment young adults with criminal records, young adults who have been justice involved or young adults who have dropped out of school or other educational program, made with a priority for projects serving high-crime, high poverty areas)
$1B for apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and youth apprenticeship programs (including $500M for programs that serve “a high number or high percentage of individuals with barriers to employment..including individuals with disabilities, or nontraditional apprenticeship populations)
$4.6B for competitive grants related to creating sector partnerships, plus $400M to support implementation of the grants including $150M for “targeted outreach and support” to areas with “high unemployment rates or high percentages of dislocated workers or individuals with barriers to employment”
$500M for JobCorps
$19M for YouthBuild

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BBB: Workforce Funding for Young People in Climate Efforts

Workforce Development for Climate Jobs Investments

$2B for apprenticeship programs (including $1B for pre-apprenticeships)
$2B for apprenticeship programs, including $1B for pre-apprenticeship
$1B to Reentry Employment Opportunities
$450M to YouthBuild
$450M to Job Corps
$350M for a new Paid Youth Employment Opportunities program for subsidized employment or summer youth employment opportunities

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BBB: AmeriCorps Funding for Climate Efforts

AmeriCorps Investments

$2B for apprenticeship programs (including $1B for pre-apprenticeships)
$6.915B for Civilian Conservation Corps projects
$3.2B to increase living allowances (stipends) and benefits for all AmeriCorps State and National slots
$400M to state service commissions
$80M to increase stipends and benefits for NCCC participants.
$600M to increase stipends and benefits for AmeriCorps VISTA participants
$1B for CNCS administrative costs (including $49M for “outreach to and recruitment of members from communities traditionally underrepresented in national service programs and members of a community experiencing a significant dislocation of workers”)

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What would you add ?

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Tell Your Senators: Get BBB Done!

Action Alert

Take Action:

Social Media Tool Kit: https://bit.ly/BBBWithYouth

DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA SHAREABLES HERE

Action Alert:

https://bit.ly/BBB-act

When?:

Through January

Join young leaders and national advocates across the country to call on our Senators to pass Build Back Better without cutting crucial supports for young people.

Why We Can’t Wait Data Portraits
Build Back Better (BBB)