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If you’re 15–25 in North America right now, the odds feel stacked against you.

Just look at these...

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But FIRST

If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:

📈 Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You ​Read More →​

🎨 Best tools for building your passion project ​ ​Read More​ →​

📘 The Future Belongs to Borderless Thinkers ​ ​Read More​ →​

Youth unemployment is at its highest since 2010.

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Engineering graduates are applying to Chipotle

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...all while rent and basic expenses climb out of reach

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On top of the financial squeeze, mental health has cratered. Nearly 1 in 5 teens experienced a major depressive episode last year.

Gen Z reports higher neuroticism than any previous generation...

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...and not without reason.

Young people entered the game late, stepping into a system already saturated. The job market has no real place for them. They’re paying into a retirement and healthcare system they don’t expect to benefit from, given demographic realities and grim government forecasts.

North American jobs are increasingly fragile, retirement systems are insolvent, and housing affordability is collapsing. The safety nets that worked for older generations are fraying — and Gen Z knows it.

So what does this mean? Do we surrender to the cycle of underemployment, debt, and disillusionment?

The Whitespace Lies Elsewhere

While mature economies struggle, ASEAN’s emerging markets are wide open.

• Demographics are young, not aging out.
• Consumer markets are expanding, not shrinking.
• Innovation is being driven from necessity, not marginal improvement

The contrast is sharp: where North America feels overcrowded and locked down, ASEAN feels untapped and full of possibility.

For youth willing to look beyond their backyard, there’s whitespace to build — in sustainability, social innovation, digital commerce, and education.

The challenge in North America is real. But the opportunity is global. And those who cross borders — virtually or physically — may discover what their peers stuck at home will never see.

This is why OCE exists: to help youth shift perspective, tap into global ecosystems, and build where opportunity is abundant.

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Like what you read? Share with friends!

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PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions (such as your own community) where it is needed the most. Want in? We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders. ​ OCE Summer Cohort ​ You can also explore purposeful opportunities through our Impact Internship Opportunities Database. ​ Get Curious.

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Lena

​https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/​