Young people are one of the greatest resources available to the survival of our community. They know what they need to succeed in school and to thrive in their communities. We need to listen to them, learn from them, uplift their perspectives and empower them to drive change efforts. 

Opportunity Youth Network (OYN) is New Jersey’s leading advocate of opportunity youth with a body of replicable initiatives that are designed to address youth disconnection. At OYN we believe that through listening to young people, meeting their needs, and developing them as leaders we not only impact individual young people, but their families, and the community overall.

The term “opportunity youth” is a relatively new phrase to describe young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and not participating in the workforce. But for years, they've been defined as at-risk, dropouts, disconnected or delinquents. OYN was established to change this narrative through the collective work of public and private organizations, transforming the way opportunity youth are educated and prepared for post-secondary learning, careers and life. 

OYN’s mission is also to advocate to change public policies that inhibit opportunity youth’s success. We advocate for state-level policy to address the systemic barriers that opportunity youth face and to implement policy change that allows all young people to fulfill their vast potential.  

Do you want to help guarantee all young people in New Jersey are able to fulfill their potential? 

Sign up to remain connected to our policy advocacy work and learn more about how you can contribute to ensuring that one of our greatest resources available, our youth, get all they need to thrive.