DC Youth and Young Adult Update 04-04-2025

By NYEC | April 4, 2025

 

 

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.  
  • 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!  
  •  NYEC Workshop: Join NYEC and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a 2-part workshop series focused on supporting youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness: On Thursday, April 10th Youth Homelessness Resources, Part 1: What’s Out There will feature Juanita N. Perry and Caroline Crouse (HUD) and provide a broad overview of terminology and HUD programs supporting youth experiencing homelessness, including the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) and Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grant program. Register here. 

Legislative Branch:  

  • 119th Congressional Committee Updates: 
  • House Appropriations Committee: Chairman Cole Releases FY26 Programmatic, Language, and Community Project Funding Guidance: House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (OK-04) released guidance for Fiscal Year 2026 programmatic, language, and Community Project Funding (CPF) requests. He announced that Members may begin submitting programmatic and language requests and CPF requests for the upcoming year. NYEC is continuously tracking select Congressional offices’ programmatic and CPF requests, which can be found here. If your member is not listed, you can find your Member’s applications and deadlines on their official website.  
  • Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Introduce Legislation To Increase Employment Opportunities: Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) reintroduced two bills to expand and increase access to employment opportunities for underserved youth. The Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for Youth Act and the Assisting in Developing (AID) Youth Employment Act will increase federal resources for communities seeking to create or grow employment programs and provide tax incentives to businesses and employers to hire and retain youth from economically distressed areas. The HERO for Youth Act has been endorsed by NYEC. A one-pager for the HERO for Youth Act can be found here, and a one-pager for the AID Youth Employment Act can be found here. 
  • Klobuchar, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Apprenticeships: Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to apprenticeships. The American Apprenticeship Act would provide states with tuition assistance funding to support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The full bill text has not yet been released but can be tracked here. 
  • Reps. Allen and DeSaulnier Reintroduce the Startup Act: Congressmen Rick W. Allen (GA-12) and Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) introduced the Startup Act.  The Startup Act would amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), inserting language to incorporate entrepreneurial skills development training into the current system. Furthermore, the bill authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to conduct a three-year, multi-state study to review the outcomes of these programs and report its findings to Congress. During the 118th Congress, the Startup Act was included in the bipartisan Stronger Workforce for America Act, which was advanced by the Education and Workforce Committee. The full bill text can be found here. 
  • Rep. Watson Coleman Introduces Bipartisan Bicameral Youth Mental Health Research Act: Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) announced the introduction of the Youth Mental Health Research Act alongside Reps. Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01). Companion legislation will be introduced in the Senate by Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Britt (R-AL). The Youth Mental Health Research Act would require the NIH director to establish and lead a Youth Mental Health Research Initiative, in coordination with directors of related institutes under NIH. The initiative will research and deploy new social, behavioral, developmental, and cognitive treatments in both clinical and community settings. The bill also dedicates $100 million in annual funding to support the initiative. The full bill text can be found here. 
  • Rep. Wilson Introduces H.R.2281: Representative Frederica Wilson (FL-24) introduced H.R.2281, legislation to reauthorize the Job Corps program. The full bill text has not yet been released but can be tracked here. 

Executive Branch:  

  • Department of Education Withdraws Applications for NTACT Program: On January 15, 2025, the Department of Education published a notice inviting applications (NIA) in the Federal Register for the FY 2025 Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities and Demonstration and Training Program—National Technical Assistance Center on Transition for Students and Youth with Disabilities (NTACT) competition. The Department announced it is withdrawing the NIA for FY 2025 to ensure that all priorities and requirements for the Department’s FY 2025 competitions align with the objectives established by the Trump Administration. 

From The States: 

  • Florida: The removal of undocumented immigrants, as acknowledged by Governor Ron DeSantis to USA TODAY, has likely created a workforce shortage in low-wage jobs. This comes as Newsweek reported over 28,000 deportations during the early Trump administration. DeSantis, however, suggested young workers could fill the void, potentially creating a conflict between the need for workers and the policy of removing undocumented immigrants. 
  • Pennsylvania: Thanks to a $5 million allocation in Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget, the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is growing, creating more opportunities for young people. The program offers paid work experience, job training, and environmental education, equipping them with valuable skills while contributing to conservation efforts. 

For Youth: 

  • YouthWorks: Beyond Summer Jobs
    Description: Building on the success of its summer program, YouthWorks, operated by Baltimore City’s Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, has expanded to offer year-round employment opportunities for city high school students. This expansion, known as “YouthWorks Year-Round” and supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation since its 2023 launch, also focuses on connecting justice-involved youth with high-quality career pathways. In its first year, the initiative has already placed 236 young adults at 42 worksites across Baltimore, extending their employment beyond the traditional summer months. 
  • Non-Trivial Fellowship
    Discover a unique opportunity to address the world’s most pressing issues through Non-Trivial’s online programs. Gain valuable mentorship and receive a $2,000 scholarship, all with zero program fees. 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

No new federal funding opportunities 

Previously Shared  

  • DOJ Grant: OVW Fiscal Year 2025 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: The Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program, referred to as the Tribal Governments Program, assists Tribal governments (or their authorized designees) to respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities. Applications are due April 8, 2025.  
  • DOJ Grant: NIJ FY25 Graduate Research Fellowship: This funding opportunity seeks to support doctoral students whose dissertation research is relevant to preventing and controlling crime, advancing knowledge of victimization and effective victim services, or ensuring the fair and impartial administration of criminal or juvenile justice in the United States. Applications are due April 15, 2025.  
  • USDA Grant: Community Connect Grant Program: The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide service at or above the Broadband Grant Speed (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) to all premises in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service (10 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up) does not exist. Applications due April 21, 2025. 

 

 

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