Nevada Youth Empowerment Project

06/18/2026

This is the accountability board.

Every resident at NYEP can point to exactly where she stands on six things: housing stability, employment or education, financial management, healthy relationships, civic participation, and program completion.

Most programs measure who left. This is how we measure who's making it, every day, not just at exit.

Want to see it in person? Comment TOUR and we'll send you the link to our next open house.

06/15/2026

It's Foster Care Awareness Month!

Here's what nobody tells you about turning 18 in foster care: you get a “congratulations” and a door. No map for housing. No guide for money. No one explains what overwhelm actually is, or why it makes decisions feel impossible.

That's not a personal failure, it's a sequencing problem. Nobody builds stability before independence.

NYEP built a free library for exactly this: housing, money, emotional regulation, goal-setting, even AI literacy. It's called Door 1, and it's free. Link in bio.

06/12/2026

The Annie E. Casey Foundation holds $3.4 billion in assets. Its own funded research, the Chapin Hall Midwest Study, found that extended foster care to age 21, the sector's flagship solution for over a decade, delays the onset of homelessness. It does not prevent it.

That's not NYEP's opinion. That's their data.

The optimism is in the communications. The failure is in the research briefs. And they are never placed in the same room.
NYEP builds the capacity to avoid the problem, not postpone it.
100% housing placement at exit. 40% college enrollment. 1,738 volunteer hours contributed back to the community. Nearly 20 years. No government dollar.

The counter-evidence has been running quietly in Reno for two decades. It's time more people saw it. Come see it in person:

06/10/2026

Nationally, only 8–12% of youth who age out of foster care enroll in college.

At NYEP last year: 40%.
Same population. Same odds. Completely different outcome.

That gap doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of a structure most programs don't have: six measurable goals, daily accountability, and a developmental framework built from 20 years of field work.

Most programs measure exits. NYEP measures six things. Housing stability. Employment. Financial management. Healthy relationships. Civic participation. Planned exit. That's the Housing Operating System™.

This is what structure does. Come see it in person, tour RSVP: https://form.jotform.com/260896175540060

06/08/2026

Nevada is 47th in child well-being. Last in youth mental health. Near last in education for over a decade. These numbers did not happen despite all the activity in this field. They happened alongside it. Convenings. Reports. Strategic plans. Summits. The rankings have not moved in any meaningful direction in nearly two decades. This week I wrote about what I am actually seeing, not as a critique of the people inside the system, but as an honest accounting of the pattern they are inside. If you work in Nevada youth services and you feel like nothing is actually changing, you are not imagining it. Here is what is actually happening, and why. Read the full article,
https://monicadupea.substack.com/p/if-you-work-in-nevada-youth-services
Structure builds what systems skip. | nyep.org

This is not a comfortable piece to write.

06/06/2026

Happy Birthday, Pam Robinson ! Thank you for being a rockstar volunteer, a constant source of support, and such a valued part of our community. We appreciate you more than words can say and are grateful for all that you do. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays!

06/05/2026

Nevada Youth Empowerment Project is looking for a church kitchen, community kitchen, or commercial kitchen space to support our youth-led baking fundraiser, Sweet Steps Forward 🧁💛

Sweet Steps Forward gives young women the chance to build real-life skills through baking, packaging, customer service, teamwork, responsibility, and fundraising 👩🏽‍🍳📦🤝✨

We are looking for a kitchen space that may be available for occasional use, possibly once or twice a month depending on orders and scheduling 📅🍴

A good kitchen space would include:

🍽️ Basic kitchen equipment
🧼 A clean and safe environment
🥣 Counter space for prepping and packaging
❄️ Refrigerator or storage space if available
📅 Flexible scheduling
🤝 Willingness to support a local nonprofit
💛 A heart for helping young women build life skills

We are open to churches, community centers, schools, restaurants during off-hours, shared kitchens, or other organizations with approved kitchen space 🏫⛪🍽️

This is a meaningful way to support local young women without needing to make a financial donation 🌱💛

NYEP can discuss scheduling, cleanliness expectations, supervision, and any reasonable kitchen-use fees or partnership details 📝✨

Please reply if you have kitchen space available or know someone who may be interested 🙏🍪💛

Nevada Youth Empowerment Project
Sweet Steps Forward 🍪✨

06/05/2026

We opened our doors for monthly tours because we believe the work should be visible. Not photographed and captioned. Actually seen.

Come watch what it looks like when adults show up the same way on hard days as easy ones. When the culture is honest. When young women are held to real expectations by adults who mean it.

That's what builds trust with this generation. Next tour at 1369 Faland Way. RSVP:

Please click the link to complete this form.

06/01/2026

Thank you, Reno Food Systems, for another fantastic class!

We had a great time making a delicious Cobb salad and learning how to create several tasty homemade dressings. There's nothing better than learning new kitchen skills and enjoying fresh, healthy food together.

05/28/2026

A huge thank you to Pam Robinson for spending time with us and walking everyone through making such a delicious meal for Memorial Day weekend! ❤️🇺🇸

We had such a great time cooking together, learning new recipes, sharing laughs, and enjoying a wonderful meal as a community. Thank you, Pam, for your patience, kindness, and for making the day so special for everyone involved! 🌟🍽️