NEWARK — A clear pattern emerged when 572 young people across Newark gathered to discuss their school experiences: negative school culture is contributing to students feeling disconnected, and high school isn’t preparing them for real life.

More than 100,000 young people across New Jersey are disconnected from both school and the workforce, according to Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN), but youth leaders have set out to understand why and what needs to change.

The Newark Youth Voices Initiative, a youth-led research project through Opportunity Youth Network (OYN), released its year two findings on school disconnection and the underlying causes of absenteeism.

Over the two years, youth leaders from Newark Opportunity Youth Network’s youth policy advisory board facilitated conve

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