Spring 2023: YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation Quarterly Newsletter

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Welcome!

This summer we are encouraging you to set aside some time for learning. YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE) has a number of online webinars, both upcoming and now available for replay, to engage practitioners and implementers in youth-led discussions on timely topics, such as climate change, shaping skills for employability, and more. Plus, our Communities of Practice (CoPs) are brimming with learning events and member engagement opportunities this quarter.

Around the World with YouthPower

Getting Real about Climate Change: YouthLead Ambassadors Tackle Myths

Climate change is a global emergency with devastating effects, especially in the Global South (e.g., Haiti and Cameroon). These shifting weather patterns have gradually destroyed biodiversity and despite physical and biological evidence of climate change, some still believe it is a myth. This event will bring together young climate leaders and relevant stakeholders from the Global South to share climate adaptation and mitigation mechanisms and provide strategies to increase the rate of climate literacy in grassroots areas, while elevating the voices of underrepresented groups.

Save your spot and register today!

Updates

There is Still Time to Submit Your Application

USAID’s DDI/Center for Education, through YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation, is still accepting applications for hosts for collaborative case study learning in youth workforce development (YWFD) that demonstrate a sustainable systems approach to improving youth workforce readiness and employment in low- and middle-income countries. Visit YouthPower.org for eligibility and guidelines.

Reading Recommendations

USAID/Ethiopia Integrated Youth Activity Impact Evaluation Baseline Report

YP2LE conducted an impact evaluation of the Integrated Youth Activity (IYA) Kefeta to establish the Activity’s causal impacts on youth outcomes. This report describes the conditions in Kefeta intervention areas at the outset of the Activity life cycle (baseline), as well as the conditions in similar areas that will serve as a comparison group. The baseline report describes the socioeconomic status of survey participants and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices that relate to the key domains of the Activity. It also seeks to demonstrate the comparability of intervention and comparison groups at baseline, allowing for further analysis of the Activity’s impact at the midterm and final evaluation stages.

Cost Reporting Guide for Cross-Sectoral Positive Youth Development Programs

This guide supplements USAID’s Cost Reporting Guidance for USAID-Funded Education Activities with Annexes, and Cost Reporting - Field Guide, by illustrating their application to USAID’s programming. Applying USAID’s cost measurement guidance to PYD programs enables Missions and implementers to understand costs of specific interventions associated with different PYD domains (i.e., assets, agency, contribution, and enabling environment) and features (e.g., skill-building, healthy relationships, safe spaces, youth engagement). Best used as an introductory document, this guide offers a basic understanding of USAID’s cost measurement approach in the education sector and its application to PYD programming.

Online Learning

Tools and Reflection to Engage Men and Boys for Gender Equality

This webinar focuses on the importance of men and boys as allies in the fight for gender equality, and it provides tools for reflection and action to engage with them in this effort. Participants will learn from field experts and gain practical tools and strategies for promoting gender equality in their own communities.

Shaping Skills for Employability with University Career Centers

Hear from students and career center staff from the USAID/Mozambique Higher Education Career Development Initiative, which is implemented through a collaborative partnership between Michigan State University, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Instituto Superior Politecnico de Manica, and Universidade Pungue. This discussion focuses on the process and outcomes of building sustainable Career Development Centers at Mozambican higher education institutions to increase access to quality employability services.

Connecting Youth Engagement and Security

Listen in on this informal discussion hosted by the Youth Systems Strengthening (YSS) Community of Practice about ways to support community safety through youth engagement and violence prevention using a public health approach.

HEET CoP Member Spotlight

The Higher Education Engagement and Transformation (HEET) Community of Practice (CoP) focuses on engaging the sector to advance higher education and youth learning priorities and strengthening the link between positive youth development and higher education programming through applying a systems approach.

The HEET CoP publishes spotlights to showcase its members. This spotlight, curated and edited by Akorfa Dawson, is on Sashawney Clarke, who attended the College of Agriculture Science and Education, located in Portland, Jamaica.

What services did your university offer that influenced your trajectory?

The College of Agriculture Science and Education provided access to a wide range of courses that influenced my trajectory, particularly, the courses in Small Business Management, Agribusiness and Finance, Agro-processing, Fundamentals of Agricultural Science, Food Science, and Product Development. All these courses gave me in-depth insight into different businesses and products that can be developed. It gave me background knowledge into the science and technologies that can be used in enhancing a product and, also, how you can go about starting and managing businesses within this sector. This influenced my trajectory as I am able to use all that I learned as a guide toward my aspirations of starting my own business. Read on.

Participate in a Community of Practice!

YP2LE's Communities of Practice (CoPs) are spaces where youth and youth-serving practitioners can come together to share ideas, tools, and build and test practical resources to advance PYD through collaboration, dialogue, and collective learning. These communities are free and open to all interested youth and youth-serving practitioners. Join one (or more!) of the six active CoPs today:

Check out our upcoming CoP events and webinars.

TIPS

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