DC Youth and Young Adult Update 12-13-2024

By NYEC | December 13, 2024

 

 

 

  • News at NYEC: 
    • Join the National Youth Employment Coalition’s 2025 Annual Forum- Empowering Youth, Transforming Communities, in Minneapolis, MN, from May 12-14, 2025! This event will gather practitioners, youth advocates, and community leaders to explore key topics like youth leadership, holistic supports, living wage employment, and policy & advocacy.  
    • NYEC Releases Statement on the Bipartisan, Bicameral WIOA Reauthorization Agreement: As we have shared in the past few weeks, Senate and House Authorizing staff have reached a bipartisan agreement for a WIOA reauthorization bill. After many conversations with NYEC’s Policy Committee and key partners, NYEC released this statement on the agreement in support of the bill. Presently, Congress is set to adjourn on December 20, meaning that there is a tight window for the bill to be passed.  
    • Fill out a 6-month Federal Advocacy Calendar!: Interested in being more engaged in federal advocacy? The hyperlinked title will direct you to a JotForm that lists concrete steps that you can take in the first 6 months of the year to build a relationship with your Members of Congress! NYEC will make it easy to complete each goal of every month by sharing support, reminders, and more!  

    Legislative Branch: 

    Executive Branch: 

    • US Department of Labor awards $99.3M in YouthBuild Grants: These grants will go to 71 organizations in 31 states to provide training and employment services in its continuing effort to expand access to Registered Apprenticeships, prepare young workers for quality jobs and equip them with industry skills.  

    Federal Funding Opportunities: 

    • SAMHSA Grant: National Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health: The purpose of this program is to provide training and technical assistance to increase the access to, effectiveness of, and dissemination of evidence-based mental health services for children, youth, and young adults (through age 21) with Serious Emotional Disturbances/Serious Mental Illness and their families and to promote the coordination of these services. Applications are due on March 15, 2024.   

     

    Previously Shared 

    • DOS Grant: Youth Coalitions for Drug Demand Reduction: Applicants will use funds to carry out a project to improve youth engagement in drug demand reduction interventions, expanding access to community mental health services, and supporting drug prevention through school-based in underserved communities. The project should plan for implementation in at least 10 communities, including at least three communities each in Peru’s coast, Andean, and Amazonian regions. Applications are due January 10, 2025. 
    • Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants: AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. AmeriCorps members may receive a living allowance and other benefits. After successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award they can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans. Applications are due by January 23, 2025. 
    • FY 2025 National Infrastructure Investments: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 authorized and appropriated $1.5 billion to be awarded by the Department of Transportation for Local and Regional Project Assistance Program Grants under National Infrastructure Investments. This notice of funding opportunity solicits applications for projects funded under the Local and Regional Project Assistance Program, known as the RAISE Grants program. Applications are due January 30, 2025. 
    • Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Student Support Service: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants: The GEAR UP program is a discretionary grant program that encourages eligible entities to provide support, and maintain a commitment, to eligible students from low-income backgrounds, including students with disabilities, to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma (or its recognized equivalent) and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. Under the GEAR UP program, the Department awards grants to two types of entities: (1) States and (2) Partnerships consisting of at least one degree-granting institution of higher education (IHE) and at least one local educational agency (LEA). Applications are due on February 3, 2025. 
    • IMLS Grant: Native American Library Services Basic Grant: The Native American Basic Grants (NAB) program assists Native American Tribes in establishing, sustaining, and improving library services and operations with their communities. As information needs change, Tribal libraries must be able to serve as knowledge and resource centers to benefit their users and the wellness of their communities. The NAB program supports Tribes across the country to address their individual information needs and priorities. Applications are due February 4, 2025. 
    • Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program: The purpose of the PROTECT Program is to provide grants on a competitive basis for projects that seek to strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk costal infrastructure. Applications are due February 24, 2025. 
    • Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant: The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. Applications are due June 30, 2025. 

    From The States: 

    • Nevada: In Southern Nevada, the Disconnected Youth Coalition is tackling a critical challenge: helping the 42,000 young adults in Clark County who are not in school or working. This growing initiative, spearheaded by the local workforce development board, Workforce Connections, unites over 20 community partners with a shared mission. Together, they are developing strategies to identify these disconnected youth, provide engaging support, and ultimately connect them to the education, training, and career opportunities they need to thrive. 
    • Ohio: To address the urgent need for youth mental health support in Cuyahoga County, a dedicated task force has delivered key recommendations to Mayor Bibb and County Executive Ronayne. These recommendations, informed by a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape, focus on attracting, retaining, and better supporting mental health professionals serving young people. The task force proposes concrete workforce interventions, identifies potential funding sources, and outlines an advocacy agenda to drive policy changes at the state and federal levels. Their goal is clear: improve access to quality mental health care for youth in Cuyahoga County. 

    For The Youth: 

    • JP Morgan Black and Hispanic Student Accelerator Fellowship: JPMorgan Chase is investing in the future of finance by empowering talented sophomore students from diverse backgrounds. Their Advancing Hispanics & Latinos and Advancing Black Pathways Fellowship Programs offer a unique opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience in the financial services industry. These five-week, paid summer fellowships provide hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world insights at JPMorgan Chase offices across North America, helping students build a strong foundation for successful careers. 
    • Attend the One Young World Summit 2025: Are you a young leader (ages 18-30) passionate about creating jobs for youth? Here’s your chance to make a difference on a global scale! The Enterprising Futures Scholarship, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Orange Corners, is offering a fully funded opportunity to attend the prestigious One Young World Summit 2025 in Munich. This is your chance to connect with global leaders, learn from experts, and contribute to solutions for youth employment challenges worldwide. 

     

    Resources:  

    • STEM Flights: STEM Flights takes learning to new heights! This national nonprofit pairs middle and high school students with volunteer pilots who bring STEM to life through the exciting world of aviation. By providing a unique flight experience, STEM Flights inspires the next generation of scientists, engineers, and aviators. 
    • Marc Cuban Foundation’s Free AI Courses for Students: Curious about Artificial Intelligence but don’t know where to start? The Foundation’s Intro to AI Bootcamps makes it easy for any high school student (grades 9-12), and their parents, to learn the fundamentals, regardless of their background. 
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