Connecticut’s Commission for Disconnected Youth Begins Formulating Strategy

The Dalio Foundation published a report in October regarding “Connecticut’s 119,000 disconnected youth,” addressing the issue of the state’s youth population facing challenges in education and employment.

Months later, the 119K Commission, comprising mainly town mayors, is actively working on devising strategies to support at-risk youth but has not outlined the associated costs yet.

The overarching objective of the commission is to reintegrate 60,000 disconnected and vulnerable youth within the next decade, focusing on individuals aged 14 to 26 facing obstacles in school or work due to various factors.

To raise awareness of the escalating number of disconnected youth in Connecticut, the commission is set to unveil a detailed strategy in October to address issues like chronic absenteeism, behavioral difficulties, and inadequate educational pathways.

The 119K Commission emphasized the importance of developing a comprehensive strategy to achieve the goal of reducing the disconnected youth population, with a focus on engaging initiatives to enhance student engagement and provide essential support services.

Amid ongoing evaluations of potential strategies such as curriculum enhancements, community program expansions, and wraparound services for students, the commission underscores the necessity of creating a student-centric model to meet the varied needs of youth effectively.

Engagement efforts commenced with listening sessions involving youth from Waterbury, Stamford, and Bridgeport, aiming to understand the challenges faced by disconnected individuals to inform actionable strategies.

Youth insights from these initiatives have led to the identification of four key strategic pillars: coalition, coordination, conditions, and capacity, which form the foundation for advancing efforts to reconnect disconnected youth.

Deep dives into critical youth support areas such as housing, homelessness, food insecurity, and trauma are slated to be explored further in the coming months to enhance the strategic plan’s effectiveness in addressing youth needs.

“The CT Mirror is a grantee of the Dalio Foundation.”