Opportunity for Youth ARCHIVE

Learn more about what Opportunities for Youth is doing in your community!

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OFY and Pastor Center awarded Roddenberry 7 Million Strong Grant
OFY and Pastor Center awarded Roddenberry 7 Million Strong Grant

The ASU Youth Voter Engagement Academy’s youth ambassadors conduct youth voter outreach in low-voter-turnout communities. ASU’s Congressman Pastor Center for Politics (Pastor Center), and Opportunities for Youth (OFY) provide ongoing voter registration training and staff support for the youth voter engagement ambassadors as they conduct awareness-raising social media campaigns, voter education efforts, and voter registration drives. Some of their ideas for outreach include reaching out to local high schools, businesses, and religious institutions to help:

  • Conduct small group discussions about civic participation and voting in culturally relevant contexts,

  • Provide accurate, qualified voter registration assistance and, where appropriate, civil rights restoration information and referral,

  • Navigate official election information materials, and

  • Provide simplified, objective information on the content of key ballot measures using official election information resources.

2019 Annual Report
2019 Annual Report

Opportunities for Youth accomplished great things in 2018!

We invite you to view our 2018 Annual Report. This document will outline the organizations history, accomplishments, and goals in moving forward. 

Thank you for your interest in learning more about Opportunities for Youth, and discovering how you can help us build the "Pathways to a Brighter Future" for youth across the Greater Phoenix Area!

Manufacturing Program Brings Free Training and Opportunities to Valley Youth - See video
Manufacturing Program Brings Free Training and Opportunities to Valley Youth - See video

New manufacturing certification program creates a talent pipeline between previously disconnected youth and their future employers PHOENIX, AZ – Young Arizona job-seekers have new skills designed to help them find jobs and to better plan for careers, thanks to the Opportunities for Youth (OFY) Initiative at Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. OFY aims to re-engage local opportunity youth, defined as young adults ages 16-24 who are disconnected from work and school.

Arizona Educators Make Progress With 'Opportunity Youth'
Arizona Educators Make Progress With 'Opportunity Youth'

Arizona is making progress in helping young people either find work or go to school. Two years ago, Arizona ranked 42nd in the nation for the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds not working or going to school.

An analysis by the United Health Foundation shows Arizona now ranks 31st in the percentage of these young adults, called “opportunity youth.” But, even with that drop, there are still more than 67,000 opportunity youth in the Valley, nearly 12% of the total population of 16- to 24-year-olds here.

Message from the Executive Director
Message from the Executive Director

Educational Momentum Update

Dear Colleagues,

As the executive director of Opportunities for Youth, I wanted to update you on a number of milestones we have attained. Many of you attended our Educational Momentum Breakfast the end of November where we spent time discussing and prioritizing the challenges you are facing today as educators. The top three challenges that surfaced were Services, Engagement and Sustainability.

Referral Synopsis
Referral Synopsis

Referring a Youth to OFY Partner Services

The Educational Momentum Referral System came about because our Educational Partners realized that in order to truly assist their youth break down the barriers they may have and keep them in school, they needed to give them an opportunity to receive services that their educational institutions couldn’t provide. To bridge this gap, we created a referral system that would allow our Educational Partners to refer to our Reengagement Center Partners. One of the benefits to being a part of this action team, is that our Educational Partners are able to access a password protected Google Form on the Educational Momentum Action Team webpage on our website.

Watts Family Maryvale YMCA - Jewel Shidler - GED Graduate
Watts Family Maryvale YMCA - Jewel Shidler - GED Graduate

At her Y-Achievers GED graduation on April 27th, 2019, Jewel Shidler shared the story of how she discovered her “Pathway to a Brighter Future”! Read Her Story, here!