professional success. (2) Yet, nearly 5 million young people ages 16 to 24 are out of school and unemployed, leaving them disconnected from the systems and institutions critical for developing the building blocks of independence and self-sufficiency. (3) Communities of color experience the highest rates of youth disconnection: 25.4 percent of Native American youth, 18.9 percent of Black youth, and 14.3 percent of Latino youth between the ages of 16 and 24 were disconnected from school and work in 2015. (4) Disconnected youth are also three times more likely than other youth to have a disability, twice as likely to live below the Federal poverty threshold, and significantly more likely to live in racially segregated neighborhoods. Disconnected young women and girls are three times more likely to have a child, and young people involved in the juvenile justice system or aging out of the foster care system are at high risk of disconnection. (5) Disconnection from school and work can have significant consequences for youth, including decreased earning power and fewer future employment opportunities. According to the 2012 report, The Economic Value of Opportunity Youth , disconnected youth will, on average, earn $392,070 less than the average worker over their lifetimes. (6) Failure to successfully connect young people to employment and educational opportunities also results in a significant loss in productivity for the overall economy, as well as increases in government spending. According to a recent report from Measure of America, in 2013, youth disconnection resulted in $26.8 billion in public expenditures, including spending on health care, public assistance, and incarceration. (7) Disconnected young people, commonly referred to as opportunity youth because of their tremendous potential, can add great social and economic value to our communities and the economy, if given the appropriate supports and resources. According to the Opportunity Index, an annual measurement of opportunity in a geographic region, the