By Josyana Joshua, Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post/Getty Images, Bloomberg City Lab, November 15, 2021
Of the 4.1 million young people in the U.S. who were neither working nor in school in 2019, a disproportionate number came from low-income neighborhoods of color. From Chicago’s West Side to east central Houston, some of the country’s hotspots for youth disconnection are places that lack clear pathways to economic opportunity.
Stemming from racial wealth gaps, inequitable government policies and a host of other structural issues, it’s a problem without a single solution. Now a business-sponsored grant competition is aiming to spark dialogue around building holistic support systems that enable youth success.
Starting Nov. 15, the “Big Ideas, Bright Cities” contest will offer $50,000 and $100,000 grants to winning ideas for setting young people on education and employment tracks within a particular U.S. city. With funding from Dell Technologies Inc. and Deloitte LLP, the initiative aims to foster fresh approaches that expand on existing single-pronged methods, such as college scholarship programs that offer little mentorship, or skill-learning academies without direct connections to employers. Applications can come from cities, businesses or higher-education institutions so long as they apply with a nonprofit organization.
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