Contact:
Thomas Showalter
National Youth Employment Coalition thomas.showalter@nyec.org
202-725-8921

National Organizations Launch Alliance To Support Successful Transitions to Adulthood 

Washington, D.C., March 8, 2023 – We have failed our young people as a country. To change that, we must establish a vision for their successful transition to adulthood―a vision that celebrates their power and helps them achieve independence, pursue meaning, secure stability, and find happiness. To this end, four national organizations are coming together to launch a National Alliance of Youth and Young Adult Advocates (NAYYAA) that seeks to ensure all young people have equitable pathways to adulthood.

“Young people are anxious, and adults are anxious about young people. Now is the moment to join forces to create a brighter vision for young people. I have worked on efforts like this. I know it can be done,” said Dr. Mary Ann (Mimi) Haley, Executive Director of the National Youth Employment Coalition.

The National Alliance of Youth and Young Adult Advocates will focus on four major areas of work:

• Identifying more authentic and positive narratives about young people.
• Filling data and research gaps related to young people.
• Unifying and strengthening coalitions that advocate with and on behalf of young people.
• Advancing a bold policy agenda that will create opportunities for and remove barriers to young people’s success.

“We know that, when evidence is harnessed the right way, it can transform outcomes. The National Alliance of Youth and Young Adults  is what we need now: New ways to ensure that we have the data and research we need to make our case,” said Dr. Stephanie McGencey, Executive Director of the American Youth Policy Forum. 

“We reach thousands of youth and young adults now, but youth-serving programs are ready to serve so many more. With stronger coalitions and more investment, we can see an economic payoff while engaging young people in the transition to a green economy,” said Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President and CEO of The Corps Network. 

As part of the National Alliance of Youth and Young Adults, we are seeking your partnership to:

• Amplify a bold narrative that tells a new story about the challenges and opportunities young people face as they transition to adulthood.
• Identify and implement data and research projects highlighting what’s working and what’s needed for young people.
• Facilitate connections among coalitions at the local, state, and national levels to harness new grassroots enthusiasm—to honor and express the power of young people.
• Pursue policy goals—created in partnership with youth and young adults—that are designed to transform systems.

“Young people are showing the way to a more equitable and inclusive society and economy. By centering young people, the National Alliance of Youth and Young Adults will ensure that our leaders hear the voices of the young,” said Indivar Dutta-Gupta, President and Executive Director of the Center for Law and Social Policy.

Learn more and join at www.nayyaa.org.

####