Advocates discussed gathering better data and sharing it between a variety of organizations that haven’t traditionally shared information Wednesday during a public hearing on a bill to address the bubble of 119,000 “disconnected youth” identified in a report released by Dalio Education last year.
HB 5213 would commission a plan to address at-risk kids, promote data sharing between districts and local orgs, help students graduate, and more.
Following Dalio Education’s release of a report last year identifying 119,000 youth in Connecticut who are disconnected from education or in danger of falling by the wayside, the General Assembly’s Education Committee has raised a bill to address the issue.
In 2022, 51,000 Connecticut youth were considered “moderately disconnected,” according to a report from the Dalio Foundation. Like Yanza, many disconnected youth struggle with figuring out their goals after graduation.
However, once Yanza decided on opening a business, his parents were supportive and became his majority shareholders. His mother, Maria Quito, helped scout locations in several Connecticut towns until they settled on Meriden.