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Oct 20, 2020 | Youth and Young Adults

Why We Can't Wait: A Youth Data Portrait 2020 Economic Justice

We can’t wait for economic justice. It is time for a New Deal for Youth that responds to the historic roots and current scale of the crisis. When the current, once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe is over, our future as a nation will depend on how intentionally we invest in this generation.

Read more
Jul 23, 2020 | Event | CLASP

Protest, Movement Building, and Mental Health: A Conversation with Young Leaders

Jul 29, 2020 | Blog Post | Nia West-Bey

Unlocking Transformation and Healing: Policy Options for Accessible Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Care

Jun 26, 2020 | Blog Post | Kayla Tawa

Divest to save Black lives. Invest to heal communities

VIEW MORE ➝
When we invest in young people, we break the cycle of poverty, spark our economy, and strengthen our nation’s future. However, 4 in 10 are low income, struggling to access education and employment that prepares them for success. The rate is even higher for youth of color, who are more likely to be disconnected from school and work, attend under-resourced schools, and encounter the criminal justice system as a result of structural. CLASP works at the federal, state, and local levels to break down barriers in education and employment, focusing on racial and gender inequity as well as promoting youth as community assets. We promote effective policy that centers youth voice and enables communities to create pathways out of poverty.
Featured Expert: 
Kisha Bird

Kisha Bird

Director of Youth Policy

Youth and Young Adults

New from CLASP

March 31, 2021 | Press Release | Federal Spending Priorities
CLASP: Jobs Plan a Critical Step Toward Economic Recovery for All
March 29, 2021 | News Clip | Young Adult Behavioral Health
Op-Ed: Our Kids' Mental Health Can't Wait
March 28, 2021 | News Clip | Young Adult Behavioral Health
Advocates call on Biden administration to prioritize youth mental health as experts warn of consequences
March 15, 2021 | Blog Post | Children, Youth & Families
One year into pandemic, CLASP policy solutions are mitigating the damage
March 12, 2021 | News Clip | Youth and Young Adults
#WhyWeCantWait: A New Deal for Youth

MORE FROM Youth and Young Adults ➝

Stay Informed

Young Adults Grapple with Trauma
Young adults living in poverty experience trauma and structural disadvantage that has lifelong consequences. Moreover, they struggle to access formal mental health supports. They have to rely on peer networks and community-based programs to cope.
Read more:
"Everybody Got Their Go Throughs": A Report on Young Adults' Mental Health Challenges

Publications  Fact Sheets | Presentations | Journal Articles | Reports/Briefs | Testimony/Comments

Fact Sheet | March 8, 2021
Make Work Pay for Workers Without Children in the Household by Expanding the EITC
Fact Sheet | March 4, 2021
Summer Youth Employment Programs 2020 Part 1: Why Summer Jobs?
Fact Sheet | March 4, 2021
Summer Youth Employment Programs 2020 Part 2: Challenges
Fact Sheet | March 4, 2021
Summer Youth Employment Programs 2020 Part 3: Innovations and Promising Practices
Fact Sheet | February 9, 2021
Prioritize Young People's Mental Health with $7.5 Billion Investment

View all Youth and Young Adults publications ➝

Our Team

Isha Weerasinghe
Isha Weerasinghe
Senior Policy Analyst, Mental Health
Kayla Tawa
Research Assistant, Youth Policy
Kisha Bird
Kisha Bird
Director of Youth Policy
Nia West-Bey
Nia West-Bey
Senior Policy Analyst, Youth
Whitney Bunts
Whitney Bunts
Policy Analyst, Youth
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