Empowering young people to reach their potential

São Paulo, Brazil – the most populous city in the Western Hemisphere – is home to 2.57 million young people. Among them, 765,000 are identified as Juventudes Potentes or Youth with Potential.

The designation includes young people who are not currently employed and are either still in school or have completed their secondary education. Far fewer – only 6% - have completed higher education or secured formal employment.

United Way Brazil is changing that through Youth with Potential, a collaborative, cross-sector strategy that supports teens and young adults ages 14 to 29.

The program partners with 80 private institutions to foster inclusive hiring and workforce development. It also helps guide young people to career pathways while strengthening skills in local communities.

Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has engaged more than 80,000 youth with tailored information, resources, and training opportunities. The goal is to empower 100,000 youth by 2030.

Across Brazil and Colombia, this approach integrates young people into the Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN). This Aspen Institute-led initiative mobilizes companies, governments, NGOs, and youth leaders to open doors to economic opportunity.

In Colombia, United Way is driving youth opportunity through programs like EduLabs, which connects over 520,000 young people in Bogotá and Barranquilla to financial inclusion and corporate networks.

These are spaces where young people grow their confidence and change the way they and potential employers see their future, says David Barrera, GOYN Bogotá Advisor.

“This experience brings a shift in narrative,” Barrera says. “It invites us to reflect on whether the story we tell ourselves is true — and how companies actually perceive us.”  

Last October, GOYN held two major events in Brazil: the 6th Annual Global Convening in São Paulo (hosted in partnership with United Way Brazil and Juventudes Potentes) and the Learning Gathering in Rio de Janeiro. Across both cities, more than 400 participants from 16 countries came together to connect, collaborate and create a more inclusive future for young people around the world.

In São Paulo, participants from explored this year's theme, "Transformative Connections for Youth: The Power of a Global Community."

One of the highlights was the presentation of the Impact Evaluation of the Juventudes Potentes program, conducted with 600 young people between the ages of 16 and 29. The study showed a 72% increase in average monthly income among Brazil’s youth.

We leave GOYN Global Convening 2025 in Brazil with the certainty that there are real possibilities for working on productive inclusion as a socioeconomic development strategy worldwide,

_{^{Gabriella Bighetti, CEO of United Way Brazil}}

At the close of the meeting, Gabriella Bighetti, CEO of United Way Brazil, emphasized that the three days demonstrated in practice how systemic, data-driven action, with youth included in decision-making, can contribute to innovative solutions.

“We leave GOYN Global Convening 2025 in Brazil with the certainty that there are real possibilities for working on productive inclusion as a socioeconomic development strategy worldwide," Bighetti said.