Hired's Youth Team Nationally Recognized at NYEC Annual Forum

Safe Streets Save Lives and Corridors to Careers Honored with National Award

On May 14th, the youth team from Hired’s Safe Streets Save Lives took center stage at a special post-conference event during the 2025 National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) Annual Forum, held this year in Minneapolis. Presenting to a packed room, these inspiring young changemakers shared their powerful work and impact with a national audience.

The forum, held in Minneapolis from May 12-14, gave several members of our youth team the opportunity to network and take part in professional development sessions. Hired staff also led a workshop, sharing best practices and insights from our programs with peers and professionals from across the country to better support the holistic needs of youth.

Hired’s Corridors to Careers program and Safe Streets Save Lives were honored with the 2025 Innovative Program Award - a prestigious recognition from NYEC.

The award committee praised the Safe Streets Save Lives Gun Violence Prevention program for its transformative work in advancing healing and safety in communities affected by gun violence, in partnership with World Youth Connect. They also recognized Hired’s Corridors to Careers program for its commitment to empowering young people on their path to meaningful careers.

Special recognition was given to Director of Youth Programs, Rachel Grosskurth, whose dedication to youth and empowering leadership within her team helped make this year’s forum a success.

The award committee highlighted that “staff at Hired truly embody what it means to be changemakers in your community.”

We are incredibly proud of our youth participants and staff for their passion, innovation, and unwavering commitment to building safer, more equitable communities. This national recognition is a testament to the power of youth voice and the impact of collaborative, community-driven solutions.