Texas is home to an estimated 500,000 “Opportunity Youth and Young Adults” (OYYA), defined as young people aged 16–26 who are neither enrolled in school nor employed. While many OYYA have experienced systems involvement, unstable living conditions, and trauma, their experiences with disconnection are far from uniform. Each OYYA has a unique story that speaks to individual hopes, ambitions, and the supports and resources they need to reach their goals. Many OYYA uplift how homelessness or housing instability— as well as limited housing support— impacted their employment goals. Here we share their stories.
About the Texas Emerging Leaders Board
The Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB) was developed in partnership with the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Young Invincibles.
The TELB is made up of young people who have direct involvement in systems and who have also faced disconnection from school or work. Throughout a 12-month term, TELB members advise on the creation of better pathways to career and academic success for systems-impacted youth and young adults. Learn more about the TELB initiative here.
TELB Member Monique Tells Her Story
TELB Member De’Asia Tells Her Story
TELB Member Kyren Tells His Story
TELB Member Marvin Tells His Story
TELB Member Anaya Tells Her Story
TELB Member Isaiah Shares His Story
TELB Member Kirsten Tells Her Story
TELB Member LaBraia Tells Her Story
TELB Member Tee Shares Her Story
About TOYN:
In 2021, the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Opportunity Youth Forum launched the Texas Opportunity Youth Network (TOYN), a statewide initiative dedicated to building the expertise and capacity for communities across the state to re-engage and support their opportunity youth as these young adults seek to achieve their education, career and community leadership goals. Two thirds of the state’s opportunity youth live in communities that are part of TOYN.
The network’s goal is to increase the number of opportunity youth who are re-engaged and to transform state systems to that the experience of disconnection is rare, brief and non-recurring. Learn more here.