This years’ National People’s Action Conference will display the most powerful youth leadership in its 33 year history as groups from around the country unite on the issues of unemployment, school discipline and higher education.

Leaders will discuss national strategy on these issues at the youth workshop on Sunday, March 28.

A new report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston predicts this summer will be the toughest summer-job market for teenagers in 37 years.

Across the country, NPA youth have fought and won innovative campaigns on summer jobs. The Anti-Displacement Project (ADP) in Springfield, MA and Hope Street Youth Development (HSYD) in Wichita, KS both fought and won similar campaigns against their Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB). ADP won 35 jobs from its LWIB last summer and HSYD negotiated 50 jobs this summer with its LWIB. The West End Civic Association (WECA) in Hartford, CT conducted an intensive testing project which documented racist hiring practices among local employers.

Congress recently made the job situation worse for youth by eliminating the mandate that LWIB’s must maintain youth councils to advise them on how to design and implement youth workforce programs.

“A lack of youth presence on a board that is intended to serve us eliminates our voice,” said HSYD leader Ti’Juana Hardwell. “No wonder youth job programs are failing.”

NPA youth will also meet with the National Association of Secondary School Principals to ask them to support a number of badly needed school reforms including broader implementation of alternatives to out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, including peer-jury and student court models.

NPA youth will also continue to press for congressional support of the Youth Service Scholarship Act (YSSA) which would provide college scholarships for youth who work to improve their communities.

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