Background

In 2007, YBN expanded its programming to Newark’s Ironbound community and the City of East Orange. YBN surpassed its objectives. Below is a snapshot of its programmatic outcomes from 2007 to 2009.

	Proposed	Actual
Recruitment	500	1,756
Enrollment	210	268
Completion	123	237
Entering into post-secondary education, training and/or received credentials	176	196
Units of housing rehabbed or constructed	4	2

Following the success of this initial expansion, in 2009, YBN received a Young Offender-Intermediary grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to replicate its programming on an even larger scale – throughout the State of New Jersey.

Implementation

Following a rigorous Request for Proposals (RFP) and evaluation process, YBN selected four agencies to implement YouthBuild-like programming for disconnected youth in their respective communities   – Jersey City, Elizabeth, Atlantic City and Passaic.

With YBN’s provision of ongoing technical assistance, over a two-year period, 400+ youth were served. In addition, Passaic YouthBuild and YouthBuild Elizabeth successfully procured USDOL YouthBuild grants to sustain their programming.

Next Steps

Leveraging its experience as an Intermediary agency, its 9-year contractual relationship with the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC), and its role as Education Management Organization (EMO) for Newark Leadership Academy, YBN is working to foster systems-wide change. Rather than operate as a singularly effective youth development program in Newark, YBN envisions expanding meaningful youth development practice across the state. To that end, YBN will continue to expand its role as a teaching organization and build the capacity of other youth-serving agencies to ensure that increasingly more young adults have access to meaningful programming.