Being disconnected, out of school and unemployed as a young person is potentially traumatic. These experiences can have lasting impacts on income, employability, health and well-being. The effects grow the longer a young person is disconnected. And the effects linger over time.

Advocates for young people, justice and equity are celebrating a long-overdue Congressional reauthorization of the nation’s main federal legislation covering juvenile justice, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) . Sixteen years after it was last updated and authorized by Congress, a bipartisan bill passed both chambers and now moves on to President Trump to sign into law.

The JJDPA sets standards and protections for young people in state justice systems, and helps states reform their juvenile justice approaches to better align with what data and emerging brain science show are better for kids and keep communities safer.

We have 40 years of evidence that shows us how learning happens but what’s next? How can students benefit from this knowledge? How can we continuously improve quality in learning settings to support social, emotional and academic development? In this brief video, the Forum for Youth Investment's CEO and co-founder Karen Pittman delves into these topics.

In this Issue: Introducing the Metro-Level Opportunity Index, Social Mobility in Rural America, Weikart Trainings, Culture of Health Leaders

Much of the research on the fading "American Dream"-the expectation that children will grow up to earn more than their parents-has focused on the country's urban areas. However, as the nation's cultural, economic, and political divides have deepened, there has been accelerating interest in understanding how the 60 million people who live in rural America are confronting the challenges that come with climbing the income ladder.

In this Issue: OST Webinar, Whole Child, Upcoming Training, Resources

In This Issue: Opportunity Youth, Collective Impact, Youth Engagement, Equity

On a recent episode of Mudboots, the Whole Child Challenge Podcast, Paul Reynolds talks with Karen Pittman, exploring the role of the community in the whole child ecosystem.

Using data to improve performance is essential for bettering outcomes for children and youth. When a new data system is created or implemented, it's important to address critical questions first about the processes and people involved, not just the technology. In this recent blog, the Forum's Larry Pasti reflects on his own experiences as well as the Chapin Hall report, commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, titled "Connecting the Dots: Data Use in Afterschool Systems."

In This Issue: Thought Leader Roundtable, Afterschool, Youth Work Programs, Ready by 21 National Meeting