Opportunity Nation is a bipartisan, national campaign involving 352 nonprofits, businesses, academic institutions, young adults and others working to promote and expand education, career and national service opportunities for vulnerable young people. Its mission is to restore the promise of the American Dream by ensuring that all Americans – regardless of where they were born – have the opportunity to thrive. It sponsors events and research, trains young leaders as advocates, and convenes diverse cross-sector groups as partners to tackle such issues as graduation rates, youth unemployment and barriers to success. Opportunity Nation’s online Opportunity Index measures the economic, educational and civic factors that foster economic mobility at the county and state levels, creating a score for each.

Opportunity Nation recognizes that youth and criminal justice reform are necessary to improve the path to success for young people and would like to increase its expertise and advocacy around these issues. This project focuses on surveying and identifying current coalition members and young leaders working in the justice field; mobilizing a working group; finding champions for reform; and incorporating justice reform into its policy agenda.