Opportunity Youth Collaborative

March 1st, 2017, 3 - 5 PM

United Way

51 Sleeper Street

Boston, MA 02210

YVP updateYVP members

  • The YVP members participated in the DSNI Open House, which was an opportunity for the community to understand what DSNI was doing and gather feedback. YVP is helping create a documentary and used the event to gather audio recordings.
  • At the BOA Report Card release, they spoke about what postsecondary institutions are doing well and what they could improve upon.
  • They had a PD with PIC Anika Van Eaton about collecting data and different ways of displaying it.
  • Christelle Pierre-Louis help a PD on goal setting and time management.
  • The YVP members went on a tour of the Connection Center. They reviewed how to conduct outreach in high schools and the community.
  • YVP worked at the DSNI table for the GOTCHA job fair as well as MCed the event.
  • For Black History Month, the group watched 13 and did a workshop on privilege.
  • YVP marched alongside other youth at the Youth Jobs Rally last Thursday.
  • YVP members helped with the Connection Center’s Video Game Tournament, an outreach event that attracted 10-15 youth.
  • Next steps: They will work on the documentary one day a week for it to be completed in August, help plan the BPI Roundtable on March 22nd and March 23rd, assist in planning the May Aspen convening, and conduct a survey to gauge youth satisfaction at the Connection Center.

Aspen May ConveningKristin McSwain

  • The OYC leadership team has actively started planning for the May convening with Aspen. The event will last 3-5 days and is one of three overlapping conferences. On the first day, we will focus on the Boston story through the lens of dropouts, college completion, and opportunity youth.
  • We will have 20-25 people attend from our collaborative. Some will be asked to present as well.

OYC & Year Up collaborationChristelle Pierre-Louis

  • The OYC Planning Committee met with Year Up’s Executive Director Bob Dame. We developed a better understanding of their referral system for our coaches and planned to create an MOU for them to refer youth who are not accepted to the Connection Center.

DSTPP eventsMo Barbosa

  • OYC and YTTF leadership are working with BPS to launch another event about the school to prison pipeline. This listen and learn event will be held at the Bolling Building on March 29 from 9-11:30.

Boston opportunity youth population updateJoe McLaughlin

  • The rate of OY in Boston are declining. We currently have about 7,770 OY in Boston. In Massachusetts, we are down two points from 10 years ago.
  • The gender gap persisted. Males are more likely to be disconnected than females.
  • About 71% of the population is from Mattapan, Roxbury, Hyde Park, or Jamaica Plain.
  • Higher education, dropout prevention and recovery, and the labor market have all played a significant role in reconnecting youth.
  • About 61% of the 20-24 disconnected youth have not been employed or in school in the last year. This is called chronic disconnection.
  • Dropout prevention and recovery, higher education, and labor market connection can all account for the change in OY.

Upcoming meetings and events

2017OYC meeting dates: All meetings will be held from 3-5 PM.

  • Wednesday, April 5th

School-to-Prison Pipeline Town HallMarch 29, 9-11:30 am

Boston OYC host Aspen Convening May 21st- May 26th 2017