work

In November 2012, coffee shop entrepreneur Lisa Miccolis’s dream became a reality. Through grants and crowd funding campaigns, she started several pop-up coffee shops where she could provide job and life skills training to former foster youth.

Most youth employment programs struggle to find ways to open the doors to job opportunities. They face major external challenges including a lack of funding, employer bias against hiring youth, and the growing gap between youth skill levels and those demanded by the labor market.

While April 15th is far from a national holiday, it is an occasion that brings together millions of Americans, often for complaining and commiserating rather than celebrating. Indeed, in 2014 the IRS received 136,887,000 tax returns, some eligible for refunds and others accompanied by a payment to make up a shortfall in money owed.