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2025-27 Youth Grants



2025-2027 Youth Grants Portfolio


REENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY GRANT (ROG)
Across Oregon, Reengagement Programs reach, engage, and serve youth ages 14-24 who have unenrolled or fully disengaged from school in order to support their earning a high school diploma or its equivalent.  Reengaged youth face multiple challenges to high school completion and may experience significant life challenges and/or trauma.  Reengagement Programs are designed to serve the complex individual needs of Eligible Youth, especially youth who have spent considerable time out of education prior to Reengagement.  Reengagement Programs build trust and strengthen partnerships with other Reengagement System Partners in order to provide the youth access to educational and workforce services and opportunities.   
Grant recipients become participants in the Oregon Statewide Youth Reengagement System being built in Oregon. 
The overarching goals of the Reengagement System are as follows: 
  • Reconnection to education: Reengaging youth who leave school before earning a diploma or its equivalent such as a GED test credential, through targeted outreach to Eligible Youth, reconnection with Educational Services programming, and supports to aid retention. 
  • High school completion: Delivery of specialized education, training, and/or support   services that lead to high school graduation and high school equivalency completion for reengaged youth, in order to increase the number of graduates and completers. 
  • Career pathways and post-secondary education and training: Providing innovative, trauma-informed, cross-sector programming that meets reengaged youth where they are; providing education, training, coaching, and supports that meet each reengaged youth’s individual needs; and supporting the identification and achievement of their educational and career goals, including access to post-secondary education and training for reengaged youth. 
  • Collaboration networks: Building collaboration and connections between schools and educational agencies, non-profits, community-based organizations, social service agencies, local government, and other youth-serving entities in order to reduce disconnection and create opportunities and positive outcomes for youth. 
Throughout Oregon, the number and needs of youth in each county and region will vary, as will the community resources serving these youth. Agency will award grants based on the evaluation criteria detailed in this RFA and will also use an approach that will achieve geographic distribution of Grants to eligible entities across the State. 


JOB AND WORK READINESS GRANT (JWR)
The Job and Work Readiness Grant is intended to address historic inequity and disparities in educational and work readiness resources and outcomes, through the provision of quality youth development programming, including access to high school completion, Essential Employability Skills training, support during post-secondary transitions into training, internships, Apprenticeships, Industry-Recognized Credentials, and/or Paid Work Experiences. Through the Job and Work Readiness Grant Projects, YDD intends for youth participants to become increasingly capable of obtaining a job and having subsequent and more advanced training or education that prepares them for future opportunities to thrive in the workforce, so that they can be self-sufficient and ultimately self-actualized. YDD’s programs focus on youth with demonstrated need, particularly youth who are disconnected from school, face complex individual barriers to post-secondary transitions, and/or are employed in jobs that do not have a clear path to living-wage opportunities. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how proposed Projects actively and effectively serve Youth Furthest from Opportunity.
The Job and Work Readiness Grant supports community-based youth development efforts to develop skills that lead to and improve employment readiness. The goals of the Job and Work Readiness Grant are to:   
  • Support healthy youth development and skill-building for work readiness and success in living-wage careers;
  • Support efforts to reduce disparities in educational and workforce success; Reduce youth disconnection from school and/or work;
  • Remove barriers to job and work training;
  • Increase job, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities for youth; and 
  • Encourage multi-sector collaboration to improve outcomes for youth. 
Proposed scope, duration, and scale of services may be determined by the Applicant; however, funding may not be used to support stand-alone events (i.e., career expos, job fairs, or special events) outside of ongoing training and programming.
Youth who face challenges to high school completion may experience significant life challenges and/or other barriers to employment and self-sufficiency. To provide youth access to appropriate educational and work services and opportunities, Job and Work Readiness Projects shall build trust and strengthen partnerships with other partners. Successful Applicants will become participants in the Oregon Statewide Youth Reengagement System. The overarching goals of the Reengagement System are as follows:  
  • Reconnection to education: Reengaging youth who leave school before earning a diploma or its equivalent such as a GED test credential, through targeted outreach to youth, reconnection with Educational Services programming, and supports to aid retention.  
  • High school completion: Delivery of specialized education, training, and/or support services that lead to high school graduation and high school equivalency completion for reengaged youth, in order to increase the number of graduates and completers.  
  • Career pathways and post-secondary education and training: Providing innovative, trauma-informed, cross-sector programming that meets reengaged youth where they are; providing education, training, coaching, and supports that meet each reengaged youth’s individual needs; and supporting the identification and achievement of their educational and career goals, including access to post-secondary education and training for reengaged youth. 
  • Collaboration networks: Building collaboration and connections between schools and educational agencies, non-profits, community-based organizations, social service agencies, local government, and other youth-serving entities in order to reduce disconnection and create opportunities and positive outcomes for youth.  

YOUTH COMMUNITY INVESTMENT GRANT (CI)
The purpose of Youth Community Investment Grants is to:
  • Increase youth engagement in and connection to school and community
  • Enhance academic achievement and support educational attainment
  • Reduce barriers and support access to services that improve youth educational outcomes, connection and wellness
  • Increase youth participation in safe and welcoming out-of-school time programming and services with positive adult role models
  • Provide services to youth in a manner that supports educational success, reduces high risk behaviors, improves well-being and is integrated, measurable and accountable
This Grant intends to support a range of programming and services designed to support education, career exploration, exposure to post-secondary education opportunities, and social/ emotional well-being of youth. Programming and activities shall include any of the following services: 
  • Academic Enrichment & Support: Provide extra learning opportunities, tutoring, and instructional services to enhance academic achievement and keep youth engaged in school. Activities may include subject-specific support and guidance in meeting academic standards. 
  • Out-of-School Activities & Positive Youth Development: Offer structured out-of-school programs that foster prosocial behaviors, leadership skills, cultural enrichment, and personal growth in a safe and trusting environment. 
  • Barrier Removal & Case Management: Identify and address obstacles hindering youth receiving needed services and provide Case Management to ensure youth receive the necessary support, planning, and care coordination. 
  • Mentoring and Conflict Resolution: Provide trusting and caring adult role models who can mentor and provide guidance in areas of positive behavior, conflict resolution and healthy communication. This includes restorative justice practices such as accountability, repairing harm, and restoring positive relationships.  
  • Youth Work & Post-Secondary Exploration: Support youth work readiness, entrepreneurship and career exposure, while promoting post-secondary exploration. 
  • Mental Health & Wellness Support: Provide counseling services with licensed mental health professionals to address emotional and behavioral issues, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and stress.  
  • Essential Skills for Youth Success: Teach skills such as communication, decision-making, time management, financial responsibility, and the effective use of technology for personal and professional success. 
These services and activities aim to not only sustain youth engagement in education to meet their academic goals, but also address protective factors that prevent school disengagement, unhealthy behaviors, and criminal activity.