Opportunity Youth Network

Youth Advocates Take the Stage at the New Jersey Statehouse In the heart of the New Jersey Statehouse, a small group of young advocates gathered on the committee floor, preparing to share their personal stories and advocate for themselves and their peers. Among them was Yaneliz Cabrera, a graduate of LEAD Charter School Class of 2022, who adjusted her new suit jacket with poise and confidence. Yaneliz was ready to speak about her experience with school disconnection, a topic that deeply resonates with many young people across the state. This moment was not just a chance to speak, but a powerful demonstration of youth advocacy in action. By sharing their stories, these young leaders are helping to raise awareness about the challenges faced by their peers, and are actively working to create positive change in their communities. Yaneliz's transformation and her journey of empowerment are a testament to the strength and resilience of Newark’s youth. Click the link in bio to read Yaneliz's full Story of Transformation and learn how her experiences have shaped her advocacy for youth empowerment and education reform. #YBN #OYN #LEAD #MBKN #StoryofTransformation #NJStatehouse #YouthAdvocacy #YouthSpeakForThemselves #YouthLeadership #YouthEmpowerment #AdvocacyInAction #YouthVoices #YouthEducation #CommunityChange #YouthInPolitics #YouthEngagement #YouthDevelopment #SocialChange #CivicEngagement #YouthImpact #YouthPrograms #YouthSuccess #EmpoweringYouth #NewarkYouth #YouthActivism #YouthInAction #YouthLeadershipDevelopment #CivicResponsibility

“The only thing I can’t do is tell myself I can’t.” 💬 Meet Shandra Lora: Newark EMS Corps graduate, future firefighter, and proof that real strength is built one quiet decision at a time 💪 After years of feeling a step behind, Shandra found her footing in OYN’s Newark EMS Corps program, where mentorship, hands-on training, and a community that wanted her to succeed helped her recognize what was always inside her. She’s building the version of herself her younger self once needed and we are proud to be part of her story. Read Shandra’s full Story of Transformation 🔗 (LINKS IN BIO) oyn-nj.org/updates/for-the-smaller-me Learn more about Newark EMS Corps: ​​newarkemscorps.org #StoryOfTransformation #OpportunityYouth #NewarkEMSCorps #Newark #EMT #Firefighter #CareerPathways

What does it actually take to build a city? Our Construction CTE students found out. At Prudential Global Investment Management (PGIM)'s active construction site in West New York, students explored how real estate developments come to life, from the planning to the day-to-day craft of construction. Seeing a major project up close and hearing from the professionals making it happen turns abstract career talk into a clear picture of what's possible. 🏗️ Thank you to @PGIM for opening your worksite during #NationalApprenticeshipWeek @youthbuild_global #ConstructionCTE #YouthBuildNewark #PGIM #OpportunityYouth

🩺 Our Allied Health students got a real-world look at the future of healthcare yesterday at District 1199J-AFSCME Training and Development Fund! Through a hands-on patient-care demonstration, students explored the skills, knowledge, and compassion required to thrive in healthcare. Leaders from 1199J also shared their personal career journeys, showing our students that the pathway from where they are now to a meaningful career in healthcare is real, achievable, and waiting for them. A huge thank you to the team at @1199jstrong 1199J for opening your doors and your stories to our students. 💙 @youthbuild_global #NationalApprenticeshipWeek #AlliedHealth #CTE #youthbuildusa #1199J CareerPathways

Welcome to National Apprenticeship Week! Our students have a busy week ahead learning about the different career paths available to them. Yesterday we kicked off activities with our Mid-Day Matinee CTE students watched a video series about our fiber optics career path. James Walker from RampUp America joined to talk more about the program and inspire our students to pursue sustainable careers in fiber optics. We’re excited to share more about this week’s educational and celebratory events! @usdol #nationalapprenticeshipweek #opportunityyouth #fiberoptics

"By the time I learned the curriculum at one school, I'd have to move to the next." — Laylah Robinson, graduating this year from YouthBuild 🎓 We know what disconnection looks like in New Jersey. School transfers, a pandemic that took years of learning, and classrooms without the time or resources to help young people catch up. But we've also seen what reconnection looks like. Wraparound support, credential pathways, and learning environments designed around young people 💙 The data tells us there are 104,400 opportunity youth in New Jersey. The work tells us what's possible when we meet them where they are. #OpportunityYouth #YouthBuild #NewJersey

Yaneliz Cabrera was overlooked. Labeled as trouble. Never quite seen. Now she's a LEAD Class of 2023 graduate and coordinator of the NJ Youth Voices Initiative, and she's making sure young people across New Jersey feel exactly what she never did: heard. "I was once them. So to now be the voice that they can look up to — that just makes me feel good." #YouthVoices #OpportunityYouth #OYN #YouthLeadership #NJYouthVoices

Great night at the New Jersey Devils game with the Opportunity Youth Network team and recent graduates from our Newark EMS Corps program. Special thanks to the Devils Youth Foundation for having us and for celebrating these young people!

Yesterday's LEAD Career Expo was a reminder that young people truly are the greatest resource available to a community. Our students arrived with industry-recognized credentials, genuine curiosity, and goals they are actively working toward. Thank you to every employer and educator who met them there. #CareerExpo #WorkforceDevelopment #OpportunityYouth #Newark #FutureOfWork #OYN

Closing out Women's History Month, we're lifting up a woman who is shaping history now, and building a more equitable future. Jasmine Joseph-Forman, our Chief Program Officer, carries her lineage into this work every day. Her grandmothers Gloria and Mary modeled quiet strength and perseverance. Her aunt Robin moved through the world in unapologetic confidence. Her mother built a legacy of community, kindness, and service. "These are the women whose shoulders I stand on, only hoping to build the same legacy for my daughter and generations after her." Leading within her own community is both a privilege and a responsibility. Representation makes possibility real. It is affirming to young people to see themselves in the people leading them. For the young women in NOYN's programs, her message is clear: "You are worthy." She sees their strength every day and pushes back on the labels used to dismiss them. "The very traits you criticized these young women for... 'too much,' 'too loud,' 'too emotional' often carry their leadership, their discernment, their passion, and their resilience. You just have to learn how to help them mold it." Jasmine knows this because she lived it and it drives her work. "You don't have to become someone else to succeed. You just have to refine who you already are." #WomensHistoryMonth #OpportunityYouth #Newark #Representation #YouthLeadership

BREAKING: Nearly 104,400 young people across New Jersey are not in school and not working. A new data brief released today by @measureofamerica , in partnership with OYN and @njoycoalition , reveals that NJ's youth disconnection rate rose from 9.4% to 9.9% between 2023 and 2024. Behind every number is a young person whose potential is being left unrealized. The data is clear: this is not a trend to monitor — it's a call to action. Read Building Brighter Futures in New Jersey (LINK IN BIO): measureofamerica.org/building-brighter-futures-in-new-jersey-data-preview/

Today is Newark EMS Corps Cohort 3 graduation! 🎉🎓 18 young people completed the EMS Corps program and are certified and ready to step into careers in emergency medicine, serving the communities they've come from. These graduates spent five months showing up before sunrise, studying after long days, working on trucks in the field, and pushing through every moment they thought about quitting. They did it anyway. In their own words: "Discipline pays off. If you don't have discipline, you won't have structure, you won't have a foundation. And all of those things you need to just navigate around the world." — Micaiah Benson-Thomas "Coming from the city we come from, this program knocked down a lot of barriers I had up." — Rasheena Mitchell "I grew a family I didn't even know I had." — Denyzha Hunter Congratulations to the EMS Corps Class of 2026: Asia Oxner, Zaire Jefferson, Shandra Lora, Alex Barzey, Zanayah Gilmore, Gabriel Sousa, Tamil Henderson, Denyzha Hunter, Rayania Muhammad, Rakayah Boykin, Rasheena Mitchell, Grant Mulligan, Jordan Carambot, Alkadirah Owens, Takyah Cook, Aleemia Robinson, Micaiah Benson-Thomas, and Ahjenae Williams. Newark is lucky to have you ⚕️🚨👏 #EMSCorps #ClassOf2026 #OpportunityYouth #Newark #NOYN #FromTheCommunityReadyToServe