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Workshop

Connections and Communities: How we talk about Opportunity Youth

Date
May 21, 2024
Convened by
Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Presenter(s)
Marisa Gerstein Pineau, Nico Connolly
Location
Boston, MA
Presentation type
Workshop

Everyone wants young people to thrive and be active and engaged members of their communities as they become adults. However, deeply rooted, often-negative assumptions about young people can make this goal difficult to achieve. These narratives have also made it clear that changing labels is not enough. Leaving behind deficit-based terms like “at risk” and “disconnected” to talk about the young people as “opportunity youth” has been a step in a more positive direction. But truly changing the narrative means using an effective, shared framing strategy that builds understanding about who opportunity youth are, what challenges they face, and what we can do to support them. Join us as we dig into a set of research-backed framing strategies for talking with the public about our efforts to help every young person thrive.