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Report/Research
How Intermediaries Can Help Black and Latinx Youth Develop a Strong Occupational Identity: Four Principles of Practice
Contributors
Intermediary organizations—sometimes known as backbone organizations or community quarterback organizations—play a key role in developing, brokering, and leveraging relationships to support equitable pathways so that young people and their families are not left to go it alone.
The four principles outlined in this resource are imperative for helping intermediary organizations to design strategies for effectively supporting and engaging with youth. These principles are :
- Apply best practices that support the most marginalized
- Focus on youth assets
- Build cultural competence
- Enable youth to exercise self-advocacy
Intermediaries should seize this time to examine how their policies and practices promote—or impede—equitable outcomes for young people from marginalized communities. As the connector within a pathways ecosystem, intermediaries are uniquely positioned to facilitate the reimagining and creation of equitable pathways systems that truly support all youth in succeeding in college and careers. To bring this shared vision to life, they must intentionally commit to focusing on racial justice and equity in every aspect of their work.
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