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Build Capacity for Quality Positive Youth Development by Training Trainers

December 6, 2023

For 25+ years, our Training of Trainers (TOT) workshops have provided an immersive and impactful professional development experience. The Youth Work Methods and Youth Work Management TOT workshops equip leaders with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to effectively train those working with young people across diverse ecosystems. With a toolbox of proven and teachable practices that seamlessly integrate into daily interactions with youth, participants are prepared to create a ripple effect that elevates the entire field of youth work.

The Five Tenets of Successful Cross-System Collaboration

November 8, 2023

Youth-serving systems frequently operate in silos, failing to recognize they are serving the same youth in a disjointed, inefficient and ineffective manner. More collaboration across systems is key to creating an ecosystem approach to positive youth development. Experience and practice have shown there are five key components of successful cross-system collaboration. Read on to learn more.

Strengthening Youth Programs with Insights from Youth-Led Research

October 4, 2023

The heart of a positive youth development approach is to ensure that young people are safe and supported to learn and to lead. Yet, genuine youth leadership in youth-serving systems and organizations is not nearly as common as it needs to be for youth-serving fields to realize their potential. One recent bright spot, highlighting the process and the power of supporting youth leadership was the recent study, From Access to Equity: Making Out-of-School Time Spaces Meaningful for Teens From Marginalized Communities, supported by The Wallace Foundation.

Ecosystem for Youth Belonging and Opportunity

The youth-serving fields are made up of complex and dynamic relationships within and across systems. To create truly equitable opportunities for young people, leaders and systems need to collaborate to provide quality support, forming a multi-dimensional Youth Development Ecosystem.

This new graphic illustrates how supportive relationships and cross-system coordination are key to young people achieving their highest potential in education, work, and life.

Federal Budget Impasse Signals Threats to Youth Workforce Development Programs

October 4, 2023

The Federal House Budget Committee's 10-year budget blueprint, aimed at saving $4.6 trillion, is reshaping federal spending priorities. As a result, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which represents the largest investment for out-of-school youth (16-24) and low-income in-school youth facing barriers to employment (14-21), could be eliminated.

With bipartisan support, WIOA reauthorization is on the horizon, and the Forum is at the forefront, advocating for increased investment and innovative reforms in youth workforce development programs. Learn more about these critical developments and their potential impact on young people.

State Efforts to Track Workforce Outcomes: Lessons Learned in Pursuit of a National Longitudinal Database

October 4, 2023

Discover how 40 states are using State Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) to shape education policy, track student readiness, and improve workforce outcomes. Explore real-world examples from Connecticut's P20 WIN, Indiana's Performance Management Hub, and Kentucky’s Center for Statistics, and learn why a national longitudinal database is the future of informed policymaking in education and beyond.

From Summer Camp to Lasting Impact: Reflecting on Six Decades of Support for Active Learning

August 28, 2023

It's been 60 years since David P. Weikart founded the summer camp that inspired the Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) approach, a signature of the Forum's Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. From summer camp to now, Dr. Kim Robinson shares her reflections on the five critical ingredients that represent areas that adults can and should support for young people in all types of settings, at all times.

The Five A’s to Navigating SEL from the Inside Out with Older Youth

August 1, 2023

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential for young people to navigate the ever-increasing challenges of today's world. While many SEL programs and much of the research to date have focused on elementary school-aged children, more recent research shows that middle and high school-aged youth can also show substantial benefits from explicit opportunities for social and emotional development.

Our Vision

All young people reach their fullest potential - in education, work, and life.

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