Opportunity Reboot: A community-based evaluation focused on opportunity youth (Syvertsen et al., 2021)

Study Profile What's in a study profile?
Causal Evidence Rating:
Moderate Causal Evidence
Study Type:
Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Findings:
Employment: Mod/high-No impacts
Citation
Syvertsen, A. K., Wu, C. -Y., Boat, A., & Roskopf, J. (2021). Opportunity Reboot: A community-based evaluation focused on opportunity youth. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68 (3-4), 371-384. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12532

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There is no conflict of interest.

Highlights

  • The study's objective was to examine the impact of the Opportunity Reboot model on youth employment.
  • The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of youth who received the program model to a matched comparison group of non-recipients. Using state administrative data and statistical models, the authors compared outcomes of the treatment and comparison groups.
  • The study did not find a significant difference in youth employment between the treatment and comparison groups.
  • This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to Opportunity Reboot, but other factors may also have contributed. However, the study did not find any significant effects.

Features of the Intervention

Opportunity Reboot is a program enhancement model by Youthprise aimed at supporting youth in Minnesota who are disconnected from school and work. It is designed to fill service gaps for "opportunity youth," defined as individuals under 24 who are actively seeking employment or workforce services without prior program participation. The model is based on research that emphasizes the importance of mentorship, goal setting, career guidance, and collaboration across different sectors. Community organizations participating in the program receive support through biweekly technical assistance calls, quarterly meetings, annual site visits, and access to mentorship training and a program design tool. These resources are designed to improve the quality of services offered to youth by these organizations.

Features of the Study

The study used a nonexperimental design to assess the effects of Opportunity Reboot on youth employment. The treatment group received services through Opportunity Reboot at any of the six community partners, while the comparison group did not engage in any related programs. The comparison group consisted of individuals aged 18 to 24 who sought services at CareerForce locations or posted resumes on Minnesota Works. Participants were excluded if they had previously participated in similar eligibility-based programs offered by Opportunity Reboot partner sites. The authors matched the treatment group to the comparison group on four variables: sex, race, prior employment, and educational attainment at program enrollment. The study sample included 209 youth in the treatment group and 241 youth in the comparison group. The sample was evenly split on sex, with racial representation of 26% Asian, 22% Black, 17% white, 12% Latino/a, 6% indigenous, and 3% from other racial categories. Notably, over half of the participants were from rural Minnesota. The study used employment and wage data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The authors conducted statistical models with controls to compare differences in the employment outcomes between the treatment and matched comparison groups.

Findings

Employment

  • The study did not find a significant relationship between receiving Opportunity Reboot services and youth employment in the yearlong follow-up period.

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

The study did not find significant impacts of Opportunity Reboot, possibly due to several factors. The authors present the aggregate impact of the program, controlling for program site in the statistical model. However, since the intervention took place in six different locations across the state, this may have affected the program's implementation and the resources available, especially since more than half of the participants were from rural areas. Also, the authors note that opportunity youth often need support and services from these programs at different times over several years, yet the analysis focused on just one year of data. Lastly, the authors stated that it was challenging to collect accurate information on the start and end dates for individual participants at the program sites.

Causal Evidence Rating

The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because the study was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to Opportunity Reboot, but other factors may also have contributed. However, the study did not find any significant effects.

Additional Sources

Syvertsen, A. K., Roskopf, J., Wu, C. -Y., Sethi, J., & Chamberlain, R. (2020). Positive disruption: The Promise of the Opportunity Reboot Model (Report to the Corporation for National and Community Service Social Innovation Fund). Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Reviewed by CLEAR: June 2026

Topic Area

Opportunities for Youth

Research Guidelines

Review Protocol: Living Systematic Annual Search and Review Protocol

Review Guidelines: Causal Evidence Guidelines