Opportunity Youth
PSA evaluated the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development’s Opportunity Youth program. Funded by the federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and administered by DYCD’s Neighborhood Development Area (NDA) Initiative, the Opportunity Youth program is designed to provide work-readiness training to teens and young adults ages 16-24 who are not enrolled in school and not employed. PSA’s evaluation was designed to (1) document and share promising implementation strategies from community-based organizations implementing the program and (2) help DYCD better target and strengthen the guidance and support provided to programs.
Creating Opportunities: Strategies for Supported Work Experience
YMCA of the USA
In 2014, the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) launched the Afterschool Upgrade pilot initiative, a program upgrade designed to enhance the delivery of services in YMCA Associations across the country. The goal of the Afterschool Upgrade pilot was to enhance the Y Afterschool Program model in order to increase positive youth development outcomes in three key areas: achievement, belonging, and relationships. The Afterschool Upgrade pilot program included the delivery of training, technical assistance, tools, and resources to a select group of Y Associations. PSA conducted a formative evaluation of the pilot that explored the implementation and effectiveness of the Afterschool Upgrade at three levels, including (1) changes in the operation of afterschool program sites at local Ys as a result of the upgrade; (2) changes in organizational practices of Y Associations and/or local Y Branches that occurred or were planned as a result of implementation; and (3) supports, guidance, and refinements for Y-USA to consider at a national level and at the Y Association level as it considers taking the Afterschool Upgrade to scale. The evaluation also explored the conditions and factors that facilitated or hindered the adoption of the Afterschool Upgrade, including elements of Y business models conducive to change.