Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award Honoree: Robert Clark
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN)
Robert Clark is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN), a trailblazing nonprofit that works to re-engage, support, and uplift opportunity youth in Newark (ages 16–24 who are out of school or work).
With over 30 years of experience in youth development and workforce systems, Robert has dedicated his career to designing and scaling programs that address the educational, social, and economic challenges facing young people.
Robert was the first YouthBuild graduate to found a YouthBuild program in a major city—YouthBuild Newark. Under his leadership, YouthBuild Newark grew from a direct‐service program into a city‐wide intermediary organization and ultimately evolved into NOYN.
As CEO, Robert has led NOYN’s expansion into a comprehensive network focused on education, workforce development, policy advocacy, and systems building. Through his vision, NOYN launched LEAD Charter School (New Jersey’s first alternative charter school for opportunity youth), built strong public and private sector partnerships, and developed collaborative city‐wide initiatives like the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative to create stronger pathways for young people to succeed.
Robert’s impact is rooted in both lived experience and proven leadership. He continues to work every day to transform systems that create barriers for young people, believing deeply in the power of coordinated, equitable approaches to create sustainable change for Newark’s youth.
We are proud to honor Robert as our 2025 Gala Honoree, recipient of the prestigious Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award.
Back to the “2025 ULEC Gala: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures”
