According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are over 5 million 14-24 year olds in the U.S. that are categorized as low-income and either homeless, in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system, not working, or not enrolled in an educational institution. In response, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 established the Performance Partnership Pilots (P3) program. The program will allow for state and local agencies to work together to help communities use existing federal funds to improve outcomes for “disconnected youth”.
The P3 program gives state, local, and federally-recognized tribes the flexibility to develop and test innovative, outcome-focused strategies and solutions to serve disconnected youth more effectively. Pilot sites will receive $700,000 in start-up grants and will have the opportunity to blend existing federal funds with education, training, employment, and other social programs that will improve health, social, and emotional well being.
For example, a state, local or tribal government could propose to blend Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth formula funds and adult education funds to create a more integrated and effective job-driven training system that eliminates barriers to employment and ensures disconnected youth are equipped with the skills employers need. Another example is credit recovery programs. These programs enable students who previously did not complete a particular course to recover credit for the course by demonstrating competency on its content standards rather than spending time in the course. Credit recovery programs are effective in helping adult students earn their high school diploma.
The P3 program is a part of the Obama Administration’s approach to give local communities the chance to improve opportunity and social mobility. Transform Consulting Group highlighted a similar program, Promise Zones, in October 2014. The P3 program’s approach allows federal, state, and local agencies to collaborate by using data and outcomes to help shape policies that address local needs. Pilot sites are asked to develop a cost-effective strategy that has the potential for making a significant impact.
The program will focus on effective support for disconnected youth by finding better ways to reconnect the millions of young Americans who are not engaged in education, training, or the workplace. In addition, the collaborative efforts by the pilots based on outcome-focused planning will provide an opportunity to learn for other agencies considering this innovative approach. The application deadline is March 4, 2015. Please click here for more information on how to apply.
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