Wayne County Pathfinders (Team 11)

THE PROBLEM:  At least 13.8% of Wayne County youth are Opportunity Youth.  Opportunity Youth are:

  • 16-24 year-olds
  • Disengaged from school or work
  • Often informally connected to a community network
  • More likely than peers to be homeless, uninsured, depressed, in poverty, married, have children, or be disabled

A SOLUTION:  The Carolina Across 100 Initiative, a program housed under the ncIMPACT Initiative and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was begun to address the needs for opportunity youth in North Carolina. The first program in the initiative, Our State, Our Work, is primarily focused on how to connect young adults to living wage employment opportunities. Thirteen teams representing 37 counties across the state have partnered with the Carolina Across 100 Initiative to explore ways in which they can better support opportunity youth.

Wayne County Pathfinders (Team 11) is established by staff from multiple agencies in Wayne County in order to collaborate on developing an action plan and working towards a solution:

THE PURPOSE:  Our Vision states, “Wayne County Pathfinders envisions a future where youth ages 16-24 have a path to success.”

THE PEAKS:  To date, members of the Wayne County Pathfinders have:

  • Impacted 116 Opportunity Youth through local services.
  • Conducted youth focus groups across Wayne County.
  • Hosted a career fair with St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
  • Co-led strategic alignment of action plan with regional, nine- county team.

THE PLAN:  Our next mile markers:

  • Promote programs that are successfully impacting Opportunity Youth.
  • Host educational sessions for local employers of youth.
  • Increase employer partnerships with local agencies that serve young adults.
  • Place two young adult interns with organizations participating in the Wayne County Pathfinders initiative.
  • Publish and distribute the Wayne County Asset map.

Team 11 members develop their strategic action plan

STORY OF IMPACT:

WCPL recently received several laptops from Hubzone Technology Initiative because of the library’s involvement in the Our State, Our Work through the Wayne County Pathfinders.  HTI is a nonprofit that collects gently used laptops, refurbishes them, and donates them to citizens across North Carolina.  HTI allowed the library to distribute the laptops to young adults in order to support their reengagement with work and school.  Deborah Alphin, one of the recipients of the laptops, is working on her degree in paralegal studies and was previously doing the classwork on her phone!  Deborah wrote: “I’m so thankful for the laptop. Education is so important to succeed in the journey through life. Think strong, be positive, and achieve success!”

OUR PARTNERS:

  • Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County
  • Communities Supporting Schools
  • NC Works
  • United Way of Wayne County
  • WAGES
  • Wayne County Chamber of Commerce
  • Wayne Community College
  • Wayne County Public Library
  • Wayne County Public Schools
  • YMCA

PROJECT MANAGER:  Heather Gray, 919-988-6497, email