I. The Foundation (1980s–1990s)
Youth Jobs Become a Lifeline
D.C. – Mayor Marion Barry's SYEP:
Paid summer jobs for thousands of teens. Provided structure, income, and exposure to real workplaces. Became a national model of youth opportunity.
Atlanta – Maynard Jackson & Bill Campbell:
Expanded youth employment, training, and mentorship programs. Focused on economic empowerment and community stability.
The Legacy:
Cities proved that when you invest in youth, communities grow stronger — but funding was inconsistent.
II. Boston Innovates (2000s–2010s)
From Summer Jobs to Career Pathways
PIC: Built a strong public–private jobs pipeline.
ProTech: Turned youth jobs into career-connected learning.
Youth Jobs Coalition: Youth organizing made unemployment a public issue.
The Breakthrough:
Boston showed youth jobs could be a pathway, not just a paycheck.
III. Youth Lead the Change (2014+)
Youth Get Real Decision-Making Power
Boston launches the nation's first youth-only participatory budgeting process.
Youth controlled over $1M in public capital for parks, tech access, and community improvements.
The Impact:
Youth proved they could make responsible, high-impact decisions about real money.
IV. Atlanta Expansion + Liberty's Work (2010s–2020s)
Scaling Programs & Seeing the Gaps
Atlanta strengthens SYEP, expanding opportunities for thousands of youth across the city.
Meanwhile, Liberty works with youth and organizations in Boston and Atlanta, witnessing:
- unstable funding cycles
- unmet demand
- organizations struggling to scale
- youth driving culture but receiving none of its economic value
The Insight:
Youth jobs worked. Youth voice worked. But the funding was never permanent. Something new was needed — a sustainable engine.
V. The Missing Piece
Culture Creates Value. Youth Receive None of It.
As Liberty observed youth programs and youth culture side-by-side, a pattern became clear:
- Youth drive America's cultural economy
- Engagement generates billions in Creator Revenue
- None of that value flows back to youth programs
- Cities depend on fragile budgets and political cycles
The Question: What if the value youth create could be reinvested back into youth?
⭐ VI. Youth Fund USA — The Culture-to-Capital Engine
The Next Evolution of the Youth Jobs Movement
YFUSA connects youth culture to youth opportunity through a new, sustainable model:
1. INPUT – Youth Culture & Audience Engagement
Streams, views, shares → Creator Revenue
2. MECHANISM – The Engine
Creator Revenue fuels three digital public-benefit platforms:
- Youth Fund USA (opportunity & workforce)
- CareGoRX (health access)
- KinestraOS (family & long-term care support)
3. OUTPUT – Youth Power
Funding, jobs, training, digital tools, community support, and upward mobility.
4. NATIONAL GOAL – $5.5B Investment Mandate
Public + private partners scaling a permanent youth investment system.
⭐ THE NEW ERA
Youth built the culture that powers America.
Now the culture builds opportunity — for youth, families, and communities nationwide.