Newark Opportunity Youth Network

What Newark Opportunity Youth Network does

Opportunity Youth Network (formerly Newark Opportunity Youth Network) is a Newark, NJ-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004, originally as YouthBuild Newark. The organization serves opportunity youth — defined as 16-24 year-olds not in school and not participating in the labor force — across Newark and New Jersey. New Jersey is home to more than 100,000 opportunity youth; in Newark, 1 in 5 young people in that age range are disconnected, and Essex County's 17% disconnection rate is well above the 10% state average. OYN addresses this population through a portfolio of five integrated programs: YouthBuild Newark (workforce development with NCCER and Weatherization certifications), LEAD Charter School (New Jersey's first and only alternative charter high school for opportunity youth, reporting a 75% graduation rate versus a 20% national re-engagement rate), My Brother's Keeper Newark (advocacy and systems change for boys and young men of color), the NJ Opportunity Youth Coalition (statewide advocacy), and the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative (a backbone-supported collective of 9 community-based organizations operating a school-to-workforce pipeline). Ancillary offerings include a Restorative and Transformative Justice Hub and the Newark Youth Voices Initiative.

OYN's business model is grant- and donation-funded, not fee-based. Revenue streams include foundation grants (notably $300,000 from the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and $175,000 from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey), corporate donations (Scotch Porter, Uneeda Bolt & Screw Co., DoorDash, United Airlines), individual donations processed via Givebutter, and government funding flowing through state-level programs created or shaped by OYN's policy advocacy. The organization does not charge for its programs. Its GTM motion is community-led: OYN acts as backbone funder and capacity builder for member CBOs while running direct-enrollment programs (LEAD, YouthBuild) and operating referral pipelines into employer-side apprenticeship partners such as District 1199J Training Fund (CNA apprenticeships with 100% placement rate) and construction/healthcare employers. There is no proprietary technology platform; the operating stack consists of the YouthBuild education model, the ETO data-tracking system across member organizations, and a third-party Cortico.ai portal for youth-voice data collection.

The organization is led by Founder and CEO Robert Clark, supported by a formal executive leadership team including COO Dowayne Davis, CPO Jasmine Joseph-Forman, and Managing Director of Curriculum and Instruction Shabani Stewart. Recent strategic positioning has emphasized statewide policy influence — with three legislative wins (NJ YouthBuild Act, S3080 Youth Disconnection Prevention Bill, and A4663 allocating $8.4M to restorative justice) — alongside ongoing capacity expansion through executive promotions and the creation of a full-time Executive Director role for My Brother's Keeper Newark.

Name

Newark Opportunity Youth Network

Legal name

Opportunity Youth Network

Website

https://newark-oyn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Opportunity Youth Network is a Newark, NJ-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates YouthBuild Newark, LEAD Charter School, My Brother's Keeper Newark, and the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative to reconnect opportunity youth ages 16-24 to education, credentials, and employment pathways statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Workforce Development and Alternative Education

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF), Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth workforce development
• Alternative education programs
• Workforce training certifications
• Youth advocacy services
• Community-based education

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: OYN receives significant funding from national foundations including Aspen Institute ($300K BEYO grant), corporate donors such as Scotch Porter ($10K), Uneeda Bolt & Screw Co. ($1,500), and government grants. Funds support network operations, pass-through to CBO partners, and program expansion.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through its website to support youth programs and services. Community members can make pledges to impact young people's futures.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Opportunity Youth Network is a nonprofit backbone organization that delivers alternative education, industry-credentialed workforce training, and policy advocacy for opportunity youth ages 16-24 in Newark, NJ. Core offerings include high school diploma completion through LEAD Charter School, construction, allied health, and technology certifications via YouthBuild Newark, statewide advocacy through the NJ Opportunity Youth Coalition, and collective-impact coordination of the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative's 9 community-based organizations.

Product overview

Opportunity Youth Network operates as a network organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to address youth disconnection. The core offerings include YouthBuild Newark (workforce development), LEAD Charter School (alternative education), My Brother's Keeper Newark (policy advocacy), the NJ Opportunity Youth Coalition (statewide advocacy), and the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative (collective impact). Programs provide alternative education pathways, career certifications in Construction, Allied Health, and Technology tracks, leadership development, and wraparound support services including restorative justice. The organization serves as the backbone for collaborative city-wide initiatives connecting opportunity youth to education and employment pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YouthBuild Newark A comprehensive workforce development program empowering young people ages 16-24 to earn their high school diploma while gaining trade certifications in construction, healthcare, and technology pathways.
• LEAD Charter School New Jersey's first and only alternative charter high school for opportunity youth, implementing the YouthBuild education model combined with workforce development to serve young people ages 16-21 pursuing their high school diploma and career pathways.
• My Brother's Keeper Newark An initiative focused on improving outcomes for boys and young men of color through systems change, advocacy, and creating pathways for education, job training, and employment.
• NJ Opportunity Youth Coalition A statewide coalition convened by OYN that advocates to remove barriers inhibiting opportunity youth's success throughout New Jersey.
• Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative Newark's first collective approach to creating a school-to-workforce pipeline, bringing together education and workforce development leaders with employment partners to share data, create career pathways, expand internships and apprenticeships, and address wraparound supports.
• Newark Youth Voices Initiative An initiative that amplifies youth voices and documents youth disconnection through a digital platform, producing annual reports on the state of opportunity youth in Newark.
• Restorative and Transformative Justice Hub A hub providing restorative and transformative justice services for Newark youth, part of OYN's wraparound support offerings and aligned with the $8.4M state pilot program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% graduation rate at LEAD Charter School compared to 20% national re-engagement rate for opportunity youth
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOYN serves as backbone organization for Newark's first collective school-to-workforce pipeline including Schools That Can, Newark Youth One Stop, Newark Alliance, La Casa de Don Pedro, Leaders for Life, United Community Corporation, Urban League of Essex County, and Essex County College Training.
• District 1199J Training and Development FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare union training fund partners with Essex County College to provide CNA apprenticeships. 100% placement rate for graduates at partner hospitals including St. Barnabas, Daughters of Israel, St. Ann's Nursing Home, and St. Joseph's Hospital. NOYN provides referral pipeline through LEAD Charter School.
• Metis AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent evaluation consulting firm commissioned by NJ Community Foundation to evaluate NOYN/LEAD programs. Conducted 2019-2020 study reporting positive impacts and strong outcomes.
• South Ward Promise Neighborhood / BRICK Education NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGifted 50 Dell Chromebooks to NOYN students through Take on Race 'One Million Devices Now' campaign. Supports College and Career Readiness Collaborative Action Network.
• Inspire DiagnosticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided COVID-19 testing services to support LEAD Charter School's Phase 2 reopening in April 2021, administering screenings and rapid tests at all three LEAD campuses.
• YouthBuild USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliate providing YouthBuild model framework. Sponsored 'Real Talk' SBIRT national initiative with Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, selecting LEAD Charter School as one of 50 pilot schools.
• Park Crescent Healthcare and Rehabilitation CenterminorOthersYouthBuild graduate Maridania Rodriguez employed as CNA at East Orange facility, demonstrating program-to-employment pipeline outcomes.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• YouthBuild USA: National umbrella organization that originated the YouthBuild education and workforce development model that OYN's YouthBuild Newark program operates under — direct model affiliation and ongoing strategic partner.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing career advising and workforce development for first-generation college students and opportunity youth — directly comparable target population and outcome-oriented service model.
• Genesys Works: National nonprofit providing career pathways and corporate internships for high school students from underserved communities — directly comparable in target demographic (youth), career pathways focus, and employer partnership model.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology workforce training to adults from underserved communities, with high employer placement rates — comparable in mission (career pathways for disconnected populations) and outcome metrics.
• Year Up: National nonprofit providing workforce training and career pathways for opportunity youth ages 18-24, with a similar model combining skills training, employer partnerships, and wraparound supports — directly comparable to OYN's YouthBuild and LEAD programming.
• NPower: National nonprofit offering free tech workforce training to underserved young adults, with employer partnerships and job placement — comparable in career pathways focus and target demographic.

Emerging players

• Big Picture Learning: National nonprofit supporting alternative, internship-embedded high school models — comparable in alternative education philosophy and outcome-focused design for non-traditional learners.

Others

• Achieving the Dream: National network of community colleges focused on student success for underrepresented learners — adjacent in serving similar populations through post-secondary pathway partners like Essex County College, which participates in OYN's collaborative.

Broad incumbents

• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit driving workforce development and education transformation across the U.S., with parallel focus on opportunity youth — broader portfolio but overlapping mission in workforce readiness and alternative education.

Regional players

• KIPP New Jersey: Regional charter school network operating in Newark, NJ serving underserved K-12 students — comparable in charter-based alternative education serving similar demographics within the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OYN_Newark
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewarkOYN

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Newark Opportunity Youth Network