Building Pathways to Economic Mobility for Houston’s Youth

In Houston, we believe our youth are not just the future, they are the present. That’s why the Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement (MOEYE) has committed to expanding career opportunities for our city’s most vulnerable youth through an “earn and learn” model that connects opportunity youth with meaningful paid internships in the public sector.

Opportunity youth, defined as young people aged 16 to 24 who are not currently enrolled in school or participating in the workforce, make up approximately 14.2 percent of Houston’s youth population or 120,000 residents. Despite this group’s great potential, they face disproportionate barriers to employment, education and stable housing. We’re changing that.

With the support of the National League of Cities’ Advancing Economic Mobility Rapid Grant, we are building a scalable model that gives youth the hands-on experience, wraparound supports and mentorship they need to access long-term economic mobility. The goal is simple: remove barriers and build bridges.