Investing public and private funding in programs supporting Opportunity Youth is essential for promoting economic growth and social equity and for preparing the next generation of workers for a rapidly changing job market.
The nonprofit’s chief executive officer, Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario, explained that when 16 to 20-year-olds enter COMPASS Youth programs, they aren’t at-risk; they’re already “in-risk.” Of those young people, 89% have experienced the death of a close family member or friend due to a homicide.
Most programs that try to help formerly imprisoned people re-enter society and avoid reincarceration have been far from successful. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help turn the tide.
Barbara Dalio vividly remembers the meeting when she realized she had to pivot the Connecticut Opportunity Project (CTOP) to generate positive outcomes.
