Week of Action

Opportunity Nation is hosting its first ever Week of Action from October 8-15, 2012.  Building off the great energy and commitments made at the Summit last month, we are asking all of our campaign partners to activate The Shared Plan in their communities by doing one or more of the seven actions below to increase opportunity for young adults. 

On this page you will find information and resources to help execute these actions. We also encourage you to share suggestions and hear from others participating through our blog. Actions are not limited to a particular day, but we hope you will join us in kickstarting these new actions to expand opportunity starting on October 8th.

Whether in your personal life, through your job, community or faith organization or through the political process – you can make a difference.

Daily Actions:

We have outlined the following suggested actions and invite you to join us in taking part in one or more of the following days of actions.   Also, be sure to read The Shared Plan to learn more about rebuilding the ladder of opportunity.  This resource can be helpful with each of the following actions.

MONDAY - I Mentor for Opportunity

We know mentoring is a critical strategy for improving the lives of young people, boosting their academic achievement, social development, and chances for long-term success. We also know many more young people could benefit from a mentoring relationship across our country. In an effort to close this gap and put more young people on a pathway to success, we are joining with the many leading organizations in our coalition who utilize mentoring as a critical strategy for improving communities.

Here are just a few places to get started in finding opportunities to mentor in your community: Year Up, United Way Worldwide, MENTOR, and iMentor.

TUESDAY - I Measure Opportunity

Does the county or state you live in constrain your opportunity? Or are there lots of community assets that increase opportunity? Visit http://www.opportunityindex.org, learn your score, share it, and take action to improve it.

Know your score and ready to do something about it? Sign up today to join us for a free webinar on Community Collaborations to Increase Opportunity Scores on Thursday, October 11th at 4pm ET. 

WEDNESDAY - I Vote for Opportunity

Our shared plan to connect more young adults to school and careers, as well as our commitment to improve Opportunity Index Scores in all communities, requires action from elected officials at all levels of government, including mayors, governors and Members of Congress.  And you can help!  Right now!  Because we are less than a month away from the election, candidates and officials are listening very closely and responding to the public – it’s a great time for you to engage.

How?  Bring five people to a candidate’s forum and ask Opportunity Voter questions.  We’ve provided some example questions to get you started, but please feel free to add your own questions.  You can also share your questions on social media channels! 

Tweet the presidential candidates using the #Vote4Opportunity hashtag on Twitter and change your profile picture to a photo of you holding this "I #Vote4Opportunity" sign!

THURSDAY - I Train for Opportunity

Do you work at a company or organization? Odds are, you, or someone you work with is looking to bring on new talent over the next year. Many companies report that they are challenged to find the talent they need (even with high unemployment). Opportunity youth are motivated, ready to work and can be an asset to your company.

The White House Council for Community Solutions created the Youth and Business Toolkit to guide employers, step-by-step, on working with opportunity youth to reap these rewards for American companies and potential workers. Learn about innovative internships, training and hiring models and how to implement them.

On Thursday, hold or schedule a meeting with your HR Director or supervisor to discuss the Youth and Business Toolkit with them. The toolkit includes a presentation to help you make the case to your leadership about this.

If you have the meeting before Oct. 21st let us know how it went to be entered to win a $100 gift certificate from Staples, an Opportunity Nation Corporate Partner.

FRIDAY - I Plan for Opportunity

What do you need to create your next steps towards career or college? A plan!  If you are a young person, or a concerned adult, wanting to create a pathway for yourself or someone else, use these free tools and resources to support you along the way.  Don't let a lack of a plan stand in the way of your next great opportunity.  Whether in high school, college or working at a first job, young people need to know that their desired next steps are indeed possible.  Plan today and take advantage of great opportunities tomorrow - we need every young person engaged and involved in our shared plan to increase opportunity now! 

Patricia Hudak and Jullien Gordon have created a free resource that can help you create your plans called 101 Grads Ultimate College Student Success Kit.

And thanks to Staples, an Opportunity Nation Corporate Partner, if you are younger than 24 years of age, you can be entered for a chance to win a $100 Staples gift certificate by simply sharing your plan for opportunity with us!

SATURDAY - We Congregate for Opportunity

Faith communities are often leaders in providing critical services in their communities from job training programs to food banks. They play a particularly vital role in supporting the rising generation by serving as mentors and counselors and helping young people realize their full potential. We celebrate this long history of committed people of faith making a difference in our country and are proud to work with many of them as a part of Opportunity Nation. We know young people and communities suffer when young adults are not engaged in work or school. Find out how your community measures up using the Opportunity Index.

We invite you to utilize a great resource that can equip your faith community to make an even bigger impact for young adults. Our partner Faith for Change has a Graduation Ministry Toolkit that can help make your congregation a “no drop-out zone” by surrounding young people in your community with targeted support. Contact them to set up a training on this resource or learn more.

SUNDAY - I Write for Opportunity

One of the most effective ways that you can raise awareness of opportunity in your community is to submit a piece to your local newspaper.  Op-eds and Letters to the Editor are two effective ways that you can add your voice to your local press.  Read our tip sheet for how to write powerful and compelling op-eds and Letters to the Editor, as well as published examples of both that you can use as a roadmap for drafting your own.