Brazoria County Opportunity Youth and Young Adult Strategic Action Plan - Community Survey

Introduction
Thank you for contributing to the Brazoria County Opportunity Youth and Young Adult Strategic Plan.

This survey is designed to capture informed perspectives on how effectively our current systems identify, engage, and support Opportunity Youth and Young Adults (ages 16–24 who are not in school and not working, or who are at risk of disconnection). Your input will directly inform a countywide strategy focused on strengthening pathways to education, training, and employment.

Each section reflects a core domain of system performance. For each domain, you will be asked to:

• Review a guiding question
• Consider a set of positive indicators
• Provide a rating based on current conditions (1 = low, 4 = high)
• Share additional feedback grounded in your experience

We encourage you to respond candidly and base your responses on what is currently true in practice, not what is intended or planned.

Your insight will help identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for coordinated action across Brazoria County.

Question: Does the county have a shared, actionable understanding of who Opportunity Youth and Young Adults are and where these youth are concentrated?

Positive Indicators (review indicators to inform understanding of question)

• A shared definition of Opportunity Youth and Young Adults across partners
• The ability to estimate OYYA population by age band and geography
• The use of education and workforce data to identify disengagement patterns
• The use of targeting strategies tied to real data, not anecdote

Question: Are there clear, navigable pathways for youth to re-enter education or training?

Positive Indicators

• The availability of multiple re-entry points (HS completion, GED, adult ed, college, CTE)
• Clear transition pathways between ISDs, colleges, and workforce programs
• Stackable credentials aligned to employment
• Minimal procedural or policy barriers to re-entry

Question: Are education and training pathways aligned to real hiring demand?

Positive Indicators

• Employer participation in pathway design
• Alignment between training programs and high-demand occupations
• The availability of paid work-based learning or entry-level opportunities
• Employer willingness to hire youth with non-linear pathways

Question: Can youth and young adults move through education, workforce, and support systems without falling through gaps?

Positive Indicators

• Case management or navigation capacity
• Coordination across education, workforce, and support services
• Ability to address common barriers (transportation, scheduling, childcare)
• Clear referral pathways with follow-up

Question: Are Opportunity Youth and Young Adults meaningfully informing system design and improvement?

Indicators

• Structured opportunities for youth and young adult input
• Evidence youth and young adult feedback informs decisions
• Trusted intermediaries engaged
• Youth and young adult report systems feel relevant and accessible

Indicators

• Clear ownership of Opportunity Youth and Young Adult strategy
• Defined decision-making authority
• Willingness to align funding and policy
• Capacity to track progress and outcomes

Closing
Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective.

Your input is a critical part of building a clear, actionable understanding of how Brazoria County can better serve Opportunity Youth and Young Adults. The insights gathered through this survey will be used alongside focus groups, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement to shape a strategic plan grounded in real conditions and aligned to meaningful outcomes.

If you have additional insights, examples, or data you would like to share beyond this survey, please include them here or follow up with the project team at research@outreachstrategists.com.

We appreciate your commitment to improving pathways to education, employment, and long-term opportunity for young people in Brazoria County.