Municipal Leadership for Disconnected Youth

About this grant

This grant will enable the National League of Cities Institute, a research, education, and training affiliate of the National League of Cities, to continue to increase the capacity of municipal leaders to form cross-system efforts that expand education options for disconnected youth. In the most recent phase of this initiative, the National League of Cities Institute engaged nearly 40 cities across two overlapping peer learning networks focused on the expansion of dropout reengagement centers and the achievement of young men of color. These networks have provided the grantee strategic insight on the ways in which cities are seeking to reengage disconnected youth, address the specific needs of young men of color, and advance promising policies/strategies. Recommended support will enable the grantee to sustain and strengthen these networks and explore ways to deepen the focus of each network on postsecondary access and success strategies, from preparation to affordability and savings, given the surge in city leaders’ interest in and commitment to issues of college access and completion.