Original Opportunity Reboot grantees were Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Guadalupe Alternative Programs (GAP), Migizi Communications, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Sauk Rapids-Rice School District/ Initiative Foundation, and SOAR.

Opportunity Reboot addresses the economic challenges confronting young people and is one solution to the persistent racial disparities in our state. While the Twin Cities ranks #1 among the largest 25 metro areas for the proportion of adults working, the Twin Cities ranks 23 out of 25 for the largest employment gap between White and Black residents.

Opportunity youth need our support more than ever during this challenging time.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Opportunity Reboot has been focused on systems change that promotes the wellbeing of opportunity youth and supports their paths to success. We have compiled a list of policy and legislative changes that can be implemented to better their futures and the future of Minnesota as a whole.

Legislative Change

1. Strike the Unemployment Statute (Statute 268.085; Sub. 2) that Disqualifies Enrolled High School Youth. Align with other states who allow enrolled high school and college young people to receive benefits if they meet all the other criteria.
2. Provide Additional Funding to Alternative Schools (School codes 41, 42, or 43). As the average age of students is 18, open up a new funding line to supplement the compensatory aid denied to schools that chose to serve those over 18. As the economy changes, this additional funding can be used to supplement technology and engagement/re-engagement coordinators.
3. Commit to an Education Recovery Plan that will responsibly and responsively put PK-12 and post-secondary learners back into classrooms and on track toward their academic goals.
4. Restore Pell Grants to Incarcerated Students. Even before the current crisis, these individuals were likely to face significant obstacles to postsecondary education and employment upon returning to their communities.
5. Support the Expansion of Broadband Access. Increased funding for broadband access programs would help students transition to online and remote education, especially in rural and exurban areas.

Policy Change

1. Allow High School Students to Co-Enroll with Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) Funded Career Pathways. Change P2P policy to allow a co-enrollment model similar to PSEO. This enables young people to be truly ready to enter the workforce with requisite skills after high school graduation.
2. Waive the TABE assessment requirements for recent high school or GED graduates. Build a recency clause that enables those who have earned a high school degree or GED within the last two years to waive the TABE requirement.
3. Seek a Youth (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) WIOA Waiver. Expand the Youth WIOA waiver submitted by Minnesota for young people experiencing homelessness to include all “at-risk” students as defined by Minnesota Statute 124D.68. Ask for the in-school population, as defined by 124D.68, rise to 50% of the youth served by Youth WIOA.

Access To Flexible Funding

1. Remove Barriers to College Matriculation. Establish a “First Choice” fund to cover standardized test fees, college application fees, and enrollment fees for Minnesota’s low-income and first-generation college students through 2022.

To join this success story:

1. Donate to Youthprise or other participating organizations, by contributing dollars or volunteering.

2. Sign up for updates to stay in the loop!

3. Spread the word and share with your networks about the collective work we are accomplishing.

4. Encourage and support this movement through public and private funding.

5. Share the Opportunity Reboot program, model, and results to support more young people.

6. Think differently about collaboration, evaluation, and leveraging existing resources.

7. Make evaluation a practice and not an afterthought in your work.

8. Mentor a young person by practicing a mentoring mindset with all youth you encounter and/or through more formal mentoring channels such as Mentor MN.

9. Talk to your legislatures and other stakeholders about opportunity youth so we can amplify the voices of the marginalized and disconnected.

10. Let’s stop using “at-risk” language and help shift the narrative about these young people and their potential!