Opportunity Youth Network
OYN brings together the country’s prominent philanthropists, corporations, federal government officials, nonprofits and young leaders around a goal to reduce the number of opportunity youth by one million every five years.
About the Opportunity Youth Network
The Opportunity Youth Network (OYN) was launched in March 2013 to capitalize on the momentum created by the White House Council on Community Solutions, which brought new visibility and focus to the needs of opportunity youth.
In partnership with the Aspen Forum for Community Solutions and Gap Inc., the Forum for Youth Investment manages OYN, a network that has brought together the country’s leading philanthropists, corporations, federal government officials, nonprofits and formerly disconnected youth to work together to reconnect one million opportunity youth in five years.
The Opportunity Youth Network’s primary roles are to:
- hold the field collectively accountable to the goal of reconnecting one million young people every five years
- continually take stock of progress in the field
- help align related efforts
- catalyze efforts where there are gaps
Join the Network
OYN shines a spotlight on what is working for opportunity youth, as well as opportunities to align existing efforts and catalyze new ones. The network facilitates information-sharing and collective action among its members through strategic alignment convenings, bi-monthly e-newsletters, ad-hoc working groups to align efforts, and an annual in-person summit. Thaddeus Ferber and Sara Matthew lead the Forum’s work on OYN. Leaders who work in support of opportunity youth and are interested in engaging with and learning from cross-sector leaders nationally are encouraged to participate in this network.