Informing Youth Policy, Improving Youth Outcomes

The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, professional development organization that provides learning opportunities for policy leaders, practitioners, and researchers working on education, youth, and workforce policy at the national, state, and local levels.

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Topic Areas

AYPF has wide-ranging expertise in a myriad of education, youth, and workforce policy topics.  To gain a more comprehensive view of our focus areas, click on the following topics:

Afterschool and Out-of- School Time Learning
College and Career Readiness and Success
Research Evidence in Policymaking
Learning and Teaching Strategies
System Strategies and Approaches

Photos Courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education:
Images of Teachers and Students in Action

Youth Populations

AYPF focuses on improving policies and practices that impact traditionally underserved youth, ages 14 – 25. This includes youth who are in school and those who have left school and are not in education, training, or the workforce. To gain a more comprehensive view about the youth at the center of our work, click on a highlighted population.

English Language Learners
First-Generation College Students
Justice-Involved Youth
Opportunity Youth
Rural Populations
Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Youth in Foster Care
Youth with Disabilities

Policies & Legislation

AYPF analyzes certain federal laws to understand how they affect traditionally underserved youth and how they enable or constrain states and communities in effectively and equitably serving these youth. As a nonpartisan organization, we do not lobby or take positions on legislation, but rather educate and inform policymakers about opportunities to improve youth policy and practice. Click on an icon to learn more about the policies and legislation at the center of our work. 

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)
Carl D. Perkins Act
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
State-Level Policies
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

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