National Urban League’s Young Adult Reentry Program aims to partner the Urban League affiliates with employers and community colleges to increase access to market-relevant skills and credentials leading to employment in high-growth industries specific to its local area, improving longer-term employment outcomes and reducing recidivism.

The Strides of YARP

From 2020 to 2024, the National Urban League and seven select affiliates worked tirelessly to promote secondary education opportunities for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. We have provided essential follow-up services, including wraparound support, job placement, and ongoing mentoring for all participants in the Youth Adult Reentry Program (YARP). The National Urban League has enrolled 562 participants in the Urban Youth Reentry Job Program, successfully overcoming challenges and developing best practices, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Urban Youth Reentry Program provided educational opportunities that have empowered many participants to become first-generation college students, with several still actively enrolled in their college programs. This journey to success did not come without its challenges, namely, the COVID-19 global pandemic. At the outset, most direct services were halted until programs could pivot and adjust to delivering services differently. Each individual affiliate was forced to think creatively and adapt, creating virtual and hybrid learning platforms that allowed participants to continue their education during a time when traditional in-person learning was not an option.