ABOUT THE YOUTH CENTER TOOLKIT

Many effective youth programs center around public safe spaces where youth can share ideas, learn new skills, and have constructive use of their non-school or work time. Having a safe space gives youth an opportunity to connect with others who are facing similar experiences and challenges. As a consequence, safe spaces can promote healing, empowerment, and resilience. These programs provide a set time and place for youth to engage with each other and in activities that range from education to sports to civic engagement. Garnered from global research, this toolkit provides resources and examples of constructive youth safe spaces, including after-school programs and youth centers.

ABOUT YOUTHPOWER2: LEARNING AND EVALUATION (YP2LE)

YP2LE activities will bring USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance and Youth in Development Policy to life by enabling investments in PYD research and evaluation within and across multiple sectors, including health, education, agriculture/food security, economic opportunity, peace and security, democracy, and human rights and governance. YP2LE will build and disseminate PYD evidence across multiple sectors; offer leadership in promoting PYD best practices; and provide rapid response, technical assistance to USAID staff to design, implement, and evaluate youth activities. The goal of these activities is to give practitioners the information, tools, and resources they need to develop high-quality, impactful, and sustainable youth programs, allowing empowered youth, working with supportive adults, to create the kind of sustainable change in individuals and systems that leads to self-reliance.

PRSENTERS

• Celina de Sola, Co-Founder of and Vice-President of Programs at Glasswing
• Douglas Ragan, Programme Management Officer for the Human Rights and Social Inclusion Unit of UN-Habitat
• Harold Sibaja, Latin America Regional Director, Creative Associates
• Maria Brindlmayer, Senior Knowledge Management Specialist, YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation
• Mike McCabe, Agency Senior Youth Advisor, USAID

Watch the recording here.