Opportunity Youth
special populations
Opportunity youth (OY) are defined as youth aged 16-24 who are neither in school nor working. Within this broad definition, there are different populations of youth who are experiencing different barriers in their pursuit of education or employment.
OFY Outreach Overview: Who are we serving?
In 2022 OFY Reengagement Centers conducted outreach to 15,514 opportunity youth, connected a total of 3,824 opportunity youth to services of some kind, and connected 3,382 youth to education and/or employment.
Across 15 Centers, 1,035 youth were reengaged in educational pathways (23%) and 2,347 youth were reengaged in career pathways (52%). The remainder (1,094 or 24%) were connected to other services.
Over the past 5 years (2017-2021), OFY has reengaged 17,327 youth in career and educational pathway programs.
Special Populations
Justice-involved youth
Youth in care
Youth experiencing homelessness
LGBTQ youth
Victims of sex trafficking
Youth with a disability
Youth with mental illness
Veteran youth
Pregnant/parenting youth
English-language learners
Youth with substance use disorders
DACA/undocumented youth
Refugee youth
College dropouts
Identified Barriers
Lack of a Caring Adult
Lack of Safe and Affordable Housing
Untreated Trauma
Aging out of School
Lack of Paperwork
Financial stress
Fees/Fines/Bail
No Money for College
Addiction Issues
Mental Health Issues