What do Star Trek, musicals, and building equitable programs have in common? As it turns out, quite a bit! Drawing inspiration from the Star Trek Strange New Worlds' musical episode, this synthesis explores the parallels between the collaborative approach taken in creating a musical within the Star Trek universe and the principles employed in our Framework for Equitable Quality Improvement Systems.

With youth unemployment on the rise, innovative workforce development initiatives are emerging. The growing demand for infrastructure workers presents a distinctive chance to involve youth from historically underrepresented groups, addressing equity gaps and promoting a more inclusive economy. The intersection of federal funding for infrastructure and youth apprenticeships becomes a focal point for policy, providing a ripe opportunity to narrow equity divides, foster inclusive economies, and nurture a skilled talent pipeline for the future.

As youth move through the education to workforce continuum, they encounter several important transition points critical to their development. When systems work together to ensure these inflection points are met with support, youth are better able to succeed. This blog examines these transition points and the strategies to support youth in navigating them.

Medicaid funds can serve as a sustainable source of funding for states to support youth health and mental health. That is, if states maximize its potential. Learn about three ways states have maximized the use of Medicaid to support youth-serving systems.

Conditions in Washington, D.C.’s juvenile facilities were not only dangerous and overcrowded when Forum President & CEO Mishaela Durán went to work for the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) in 2005, they also provided scant opportunities and services to help youth there succeed in school, work, and life after incarceration. However, a shift to a Positive Youth Justice (PYJ) model that integrated community organizations changed that. More than 15 years later, this model is still the guiding principle at DYRS, and a body of evidence now shows providing developmentally appropriate services to court-involved youth helps set them on a positive trajectory.

Discover how Positive Youth Development (PYD) powers leadership, self-confidence, and strong relationships, leading to improved health, education, and job prospects. While widely embraced, PYD lacks a federal definition, causing inequities in outcomes across programs and states. Explore 4 states that define PYD and their common elements in this blog.

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.

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.

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.

In April and May of 2021, Karen Pittman 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.

Watch Karen's recent interview with Merita Irby, co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Forum and Managing Partner of Big Picture Approach Training and Consulting. Big Picture Approach is the Forum’s most visible effort devoted to planning and partnering for impact.