building brighter futures for
opportunity youth
We’re a coalition of education and workforce leaders committed to reconnecting young people with the pathways and support they deserve. Together, we’re working to transform systems so every young person has a real chance to thrive.
who are opportunity youth?
In every corner of California, from bustling cities like Los Angeles to smaller communities across the state, there are young people filled with potential but facing systemic barriers that keep them disconnected from school and work. These young people are known as Opportunity Youth (OY), and at OYSC, we believe their disconnection is not a personal failure— it's a signal that our systems must do better.
OY are between the ages of 16 and 24 and are not currently enrolled in school or participating in the workforce. As of 2021, more than 570,000 young Californians fell into this category. That's 1 in 8 young people, or a 12.5% disconnection rate—a sharp 19% increase since 2019. These numbers are more than data points; they're a call to action.
Behind every percentage lies a story. A student who had to drop out to care for a sibling. A young adult who aged out of foster care without a safety net. A teen who never saw themselves reflected in traditional pathways to success. While their stories differ, they share a common truth: the system wasn't built with them in mind.
The Reality They Face
Disconnection is not random—it mirrors the inequities embedded in our society. More than half of California's OY are Hispanic or Latino (55%). A similar proportion is male (54%). Nearly 40% come from very low-income households, living below 150% of the federal poverty line. And while over 80% have earned a high school diploma, opportunities for advancement often end there.
The odds stack higher for young adults ages 20-24 and for Black youth, who face some of the highest disconnection rates in the state. In many counties, particularly large urban areas, the number of disconnected youth is rising faster than anywhere else.
But none of this is inevitable.
Why We Say Opportunity Youth
We deliberately choose the term "Opportunity Youth" (OY). We see their potential, not just their current circumstances. They are not a problem to fix; they are a community to invest in. When supported with the right policies, programs, and resources, these young people don't just catch up—they leap forward.
our Mission
The Opportunity Youth Schools Coalition (OYSC) exists to ensure that OY are no longer overlooked but empowered. Our mission is to reconnect young people to education, employment, and purpose through policy, partnerships, and innovation. We work to dismantle systemic barriers and replace them with clear, supported pathways to success. Success means fewer young people falling through the cracks—and more thriving in school, work, and life. This work is urgent; youth disconnection is rising, and with it, the risk of lifelong hardship and inequality.
The time to act is now because when young people rise, California rises with them.
WHO WE ARE
The Opportunity Youth Schools Coalition is a group of California schools built around a population most systems treat as an edge case: opportunity youth — young people between 16 and 24 who are disconnected from both school and work. Our members don’t serve these students at the margin of their work. They’ve designed their entire models around them, integrating the academic, life-stability, workforce, and civic supports that genuine reconnection requires. Individually, each school has proven what’s possible. As a coalition, we’re making that knowledge available to the field.
THE SCALE OF THE DISCONNECT
523,983
Reconnection is not a niche concern. As of 2022, 523,938 young Californians — roughly 1 in 9 — were neither in school nor working, a number still elevated above its pre-pandemic level.
And the need is concentrated and inequitable: 62% of the state’s opportunity youth live in just 12 of California’s 58 counties, and 64% are Black or Latino. These aren’t young people without potential. They’re young people our systems weren’t designed to reach, which is exactly the gap OYSC’s members are trying to close.
1 in 9
young Californians disconnected from school and work
62%
concentrated in just 12 of California’s 58 counties
64%
California opportunity youth (2022)
are Black or Latino
already working at scale
The Reconnection Framework describes what our members already do. John Muir Charter Schools pairs more than 30 sites with workforce partners so students earn credit and income at the same time. YouthBuild Charter School of California builds industry-recognized credentials directly into academic coursework. Los Angeles Education Corps embeds counseling, food access, and case management into small learning communities. SIATech operationalized basic-needs stability through a 25-year Job Corps partnership. The model isn’t a theory for our members. It’s standard practice.