A big thank you to everyone who joined us for “Plugging into Possibilities: Bridging the Gap for Opportunity Youth in the Puget Sound Region” on Wednesday! We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and the insightful questions you brought to the table. We’re excited about the possibility of collaborating with you all in the future!

Key Takeaways

• Opportunity Youth refers to young people aged 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor working. In South King County and Pierce County, there are 22,805 Opportunity Youth, making up about one-fourth of the total disconnected youth population in Washington State.

•  The highest number of disconnected youth includes those who have completed high school but are not pursuing postsecondary education, career training, or employment. In our region, 30.4% of 16 to 24-year-olds fall into this category, with a notably higher percentage in Pierce County at 41.3%.

• We invite you to take action by embracing a more inclusive approach in designing interventions for young people still seeking pathways to postsecondary education, vocational training, or employment. These individuals possess incredible potential, and with the right support, we can help them connect to the systems and networks that will empower their success.

Webinar Recording & Resources

Whether you attended or missed the session, we’re sharing the complete webinar recording and resources, which include:

• Webinar Recording

• Slides

• Sound Reengagement Collaborative's Regional Data Summary

🔗 Webinar Resources & Reports

🌎Measure of America's Youth Disconnection Tool - Use this interactive tool to learn more about Opportunity Youth across the country and locally in your area.

📄Broad Recovery, Persistent Inequity: Youth Disconnection in America, 2024, Measure of America

📄 Creating Paths for Change: Understanding Youth Disengagement and Reengagement, 2020, University of Washington, Northwest Education Access, and Community Center for Education Results

📄 Why Do Students Leave College?, 2020, Tacoma Completes, Degrees of Change

📄 Making the Case: Elevating Youth Perspectives - Connecting Systems to Student Needs, 2022, Foundation for Tacoma Students

What's Next

We invite you to attend an upcoming Sound Reengagement Collaborative meeting, support our dedicated SRC partners serving Opportunity Youth, or assist Northwest Education Access as we continue to help young people connect with their educational and career goals.

📆 Save the Date: April 24th

We invite you to save the date for a statewide summit on April 24, 2026. This event will bring together champions of Opportunity Youth and Adult Learners to share best practices and collaborate. Please stay tuned for more information about the event in the coming months.

Stay Connected

Follow NWEdA and the Sound Reengagement Collaborative on LinkedIn for updates on upcoming webinars and resources.

Thank you for your commitment to supporting all young people in achieving their educational and career goals.