Profiles of Opportunity Youth

Profiles of opportunity youth.

The Forum for Community Solutions’ Opportunity Youth Forum works with an extraordinary group of young adults who are leading the charge to improve outcomes for opportunity youth.

Here are stories from two of the many amazing young adults who are a part of this network. Both Shanice and Freda are former opportunity youth who have become leaders and mentors in their community and the broader movement.

Shanice Turner
Atlanta, Georgia

Shanice Turner comes from a family of doers and go-getters. When her grandmother and other households in Midway, Alabama, struggled to drive one hour to get basic groceries, they all came together to do something about it. They contacted Dollar General to open a store and after gathering signatures on petitions and sending emails to the retailer, they were successful in launching the first major retail store in Midway.

When asked how she would describe the tenacious nature of her family, Shanice uses a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Read Shanice’s entire story here.

Freda Crichton
Seattle/South King County, Washington

The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions partners with movers and shakers from communities scattered across the country. Freda Crichton, a leader in our opportunity youth work, is one such person in Seattle/South King County.

“Between her job at King County, her position on the Road Map Project’s Community Leadership Team, and her active participation in the local Pacific Islander community, she has given back more to her community as a young adult than many of us ever will in a lifetime,” said Nicole Yohalem of the Road Map Project who has worked with Freda for four years. “Freda is an incredible leader.”

Read Freda’s entire story here.

Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions Surpasses $50 Million Grantmaking Milestone in Communities Nationwide with $2 Million in New Investments
Publication

Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions Surpasses $50 Million Grantmaking Milestone in Communities Nationwide with $2 Million in New Investments

The Opportunity Youth Fund and Forum announced $2 million in new grants this past month, bringing the total grantmaking for the OYF to more than $50 million.

New Opportunity Youth Forum Data Shows The Need For More Supports

There are currently over four million opportunity youth in the United States, and nearly one million of them live in communities supported by the Aspen Institute’s Opportunity Youth Forum.

Scenius (Creative Arts Inquiry)

Some of the most powerful creative movements in history didn’t come from a single genius or institution — they came from a scene: a web of people, practices, and places that fed each other’s work until something new broke through. We call that dynamic Scenius, and we’re building a network to support it.
Opportunity Youth Forum Fall 2026 Cross-Site Convening
Event

Opportunity Youth Forum Fall 2026 Cross-Site Convening

This Fall, the Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF) national network, and the Belonging, Meaning, Wellbeing, and Purpose (BMWP) Funder Community of Practice will gather in Hawaiʻi for an immersive, place-based learning experience rooted in ʻāina, culture, community, and the wisdom of generations.

Opportunity Youth Forum Communities Create $1.2 Billion in Cost Savings Each Year

This OYF assessment uses new data techniques to estimate the economic impacts of re-connecting young adults to education & workforce.