OUR PIECE OF THE PIE INC

Many urban youth have difficult backgrounds facing disproportionate levels of illiteracy, poverty, unemployment and crime. The economic recovery has looked more like an ongoing downturn for distressed communities like Hartford. Hartford's median household income ($30,630) is less than ½ the state average ($70,331) and the poverty rate is 33.4%. Only 70.6% of Hartford residents have a high school diploma or better.

These numbers underscore the bleak reality that our Hartford-area youth face. Urban youth face a bleak reality. Caught in a cycle of un- or under-employment, lack of quality education, and overall poverty, they become disconnected and disengaged and when the traditional system stops working for them, they drop out. Even as the economy has improved, for distressed communities like Hartford, it is an ongoing downturn. Research shows that the presence of an appropriate caring adult (the heart of OPP's programming) can improve outcomes for these youth by providing a mentor and coach, someone to show these youth a different way of thinking, a future they can believe in, and help them to obtain the skills, confidence and self-esteem necessary to dream of a better future and provide the supports to help them build a path to get there.

We work with each youth one-on-one to address their specific barriers and ensure that they are accessing the proper services. OPP's programming gives urban youth access and opportunity, helping them to graduate from high school and move on to postsecondary education and meaningful employment. Youth are completing OPP's programs, having learned life-long social/emotional competencies, advanced their academic goals, educational, and gained workforce development skills.

At OPP, we believe that with access and opportunity, all youth can succeed. OPP's unique model is centered around the youth, a supportive relationship, and access to meaningful services. Together, these give youth the skills, tools and support they need to succeed. Our programs help youth graduate from high school, earn a college degree or professional credential, and secure rewarding, well-paying jobs. And the benefits extend beyond the individual. Better educated, trained and motivated employees lead to a stronger workforce which means a stronger economy, including increased tax revenue and fewer social service costs. Youth who become economically independent adults are better able to contribute to and strengthen their own families as well as their communities.

OPP delivers an individualized and effective combination of three fields of practice: Youth Development, Academics and Job Readiness, as described below:

• Youth Development: Ongoing Relationship with Youth Development Specialist; Individualized Success Plan (Goal Setting); Emergency Support; Personal Development; Obstacle Reduction; and External Support Services
• Academics: After-School Tutoring; Standardized Test Prep; College Tours; College Application Help; Financial Aid Workshops; Continued Support when in College; and a High School model for struggling students
• Job Readiness: Pre-Work Work-to-Learn program in Art (Ceramics, Murals, Photography, etc.) and Woodworking/Boatbuilding; Job Skills Training; Career Exploration; Internship Placement; Job Coaching; and Vocational Training

OPP works with youth as they attain these ultimate goals: a high school credential; a postsecondary degree or professional credential; and meaningful, well-paying employment.

OPP provides services in two settings in Connecticut: Community and High Schools.
• Community: Greater Hartford (re-launched in 2005) and Eastern Connecticut (opened in 2012)
• High Schools: OPPortunity Academy Hartford (formerly Opportunity H.S.; opened in 2009); Learning Academy at Bloomfield (opened in 2012); and Path Academy Windham (opened in 2014).

OPP's record for youth is unsurpassed in the region. In the last three years
-- 359 young people earned a high school diploma (113 in 2016-17)
-- An average of 338 students per year at risk of becoming dropouts enrolled in one of three OPP high schools (367 in 2016-17)
-- 785 youth demonstrated career competencies through our workforce course (462 in 2016-17)
-- 396 youth completed a postsecondary program (111 in 2016-17)
-- 226 youth maintained sustainable employment (64 in 2016-17); and
-- 400-500 teens gained job readiness skills and a paycheck in a Summer Youth Employment program2014 - 2017

Since 2005, when OPP began collecting rigorous data, there have been nearly 1,000 high school graduates, nearly 1,000 post-secondary credentials, and nearly 1,000 youth retaining employment for 6 months or longer. We've done all of this with almost $70-million in public and private investments.

Our work has always been about social value and economic return, or simply: Is our work helping our society? Using economists' analytics for the outcomes, over the last dozen years, we've delivered $750,000,000 of economic value to the state of Connecticut so far!