A Conversation with Kimberly Howard Robinson, Ph.D.

In February, the Forum for Youth Investment’s Co-Founder and CEO Karen Pittman stepped out of organizational leadership to “find more time.” More time to reflect. More time to write. More time to amplify powerful ideas.

With a national search for our next CEO well underway, the Forum’s mission and vital work continues apace to help leaders think differently about what it takes to manage and sustain change so that they are more motivated to act differently and, ultimately, act together as a part of an allied youth field. Those who know the full Forum know that three strategic approaches have guided our work since our founding 20+ years ago:

  • Strengthening Practices & Programs
  • Improving & Aligning Policies
  • Planning & Partnering for Impact

In April and May of 2021, Karen sat down with the Forum’s three program executives and, together, they told the broader story of how the Forum is changing the odds for young people and explored the future of our work to advance equity, research, policy, and practice across all the systems and settings that shape young people’s lives. Each executive leads a unit and a set of named centers and initiatives intended to drive one of the Forum’s strategic approaches.

Karen interviewed Kimberly Howard Robinson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of the Forum and Managing Director of our Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. The Weikart Center is the Forum’s most visible effort devoted to strengthening practices and programs.

View clips or the full recording from the conversation and find selected links and resources mentioned below.

Join Forum Executive Vice President and Weikart Center Managing Director Kim Robinson and Forum Co-Founder Karen Pittman for an overview of our approach to continuous quality improvement (CQI). The Weikart Center’s proprietary assess – plan – improve process makes CQI easy to start and easy to continue. Flexible by design, CQI enables youth leaders to respond to changes caused by the pandemic and can be adapted to your specific needs.

Hear from Forum Executive Vice President and Weikart Center Managing Director Kim Robinson about the exciting launch of the Weikart Center’s revamped website! You can explore our new home here: www.forumfyi.org/weikartcenter

Listen in as Forum Executive Vice President and Weikart Center Managing Director Kim Robinson and Forum Co-Founder Karen Pittman illuminate the foundation of the Weikart Center’s work. From our emblematic pyramid to our PQAs and workshops, everything we do builds on the powerful insight that young people need to feel safe and supported in order to learn and lead.

Follow along as Forum Executive Vice President and Weikart Center Managing Director Kim Robinson breaks down the QuEST theory of how learning happens: Quality, Engagement, and Skills/beliefs facilitate the Transfer of outcomes that change the odds for children and youth.

The social and emotional needs of young people and youth leaders alike play a crucial role in supporting learning and development. Learn more about the SEL resources we offer and innovative Weikart Center initiatives helping increase the recognition and implementation of SEL across the youth development field. Want to go deeper? Check out the field guide and technical report for the Preparing Youth to Thrive project.

Get inspired as Forum Executive Vice President and Weikart Center Managing Director Kim Robinson and Forum Co-Founder Karen Pittman discuss the Weikart Center’s renewed commitment to racial equity and social justice and the importance of defining quality through an equity lens.

Mark your calendar for the release of It Takes an Ecosystem! The sixth installment in IAP’s Current Issues in Out-of-School-Time series, It Takes an Ecosystem will be out later this year.

Selected Links