(center) Sarah Sladen, Agency Youth Coordinator, USAID, moderates an engaging talk between Allyson Wainer, Director, Center for Education, Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation, USAID (left); and Lisa Godwin Deputy Director, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, USAID (right).
The Positive Youth Development (PYD) Symposium, hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE), recently concluded its two-day gathering at the National Housing Center in Washington D.C. The symposium convened PYD champions, implementers, and practitioners to engage in insightful discussions, advance evidence-building, and unpack the nuances of fostering meaningful and inclusive youth engagement. While the invite-only gathering on January 23-24 had limited in-person attendance, portions of the event were available to the public via livestream to ensure a wider reach and sharing of key learnings.
Setting the Stage
Day 1 kicked off with a thought-provoking Youth Protection and Safeguarding Primer Workshop, guided by Zaira Lainez, Global GESI Officer, Youth Excel, IREX; Nicola Chehade, Senior Specialist, Mental Health and Inclusion, YP2LE, Making Cents International; and Doha Adi, Senior Projects Manager, Search for Common Ground Lebanon. Beyond surface-level discussions, the workshop delved into invisible barriers affecting young people. Chehade underscored the importance of challenging biases, adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach (TIA), and applying the Six Principles of TIA to create psychological safety in workplaces or communities. The importance of these principles was underscored by the symposium’s establishment of safe space norms. It set the tone for creating a learning environment built on respect, comfort, presence, inclusivity, and accessible language.
A captivating fireside chat featured Sarah Sladen, Agency Youth Coordinator, USAID; Allyson Wainer, Director, Center for Education, Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation, USAID; and Lisa Godwin, Deputy Director, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, USAID. The trio explored the realization of PYD in programs and staff mindsets. Discussions revolved around meaningful youth engagement, policy considerations for youth learning agendas, and connecting with marginalized groups.
“If you look across USAID policies, which we really do rely on, and we thank you for helping us to form and develop [those], the themes of access, participation, and inclusion are throughout. So, our education policy aligns with our youth policy. But what does that actually mean? What it means is that USAID will invest in these areas,” Wainer said.
Empowering young people to be the architects of their own development also took center stage. Young changemakers Azam Rahman, a former YouthLead Ambassador from Brunei, and Mónica Ferrey, a Youth Advisory Group member from Colombia, shared how the transformative power of mentorship has been an asset to their professional development. They used real-life examples of mentoring programs they had participated in, including YouthLead and DataStream Technologies’ Innolab, an entrepreneurship incubator.
The positive aspects of mentoring, such as developing leadership skills and expanding professional networks, were emphasized. Challenges discussed included time constraints, retention, and the need for clearly defined goals and deliverables.
“Achieving a general connection with either a mentor or a mentee is challenging…it comes with the acceptance that you’re not necessarily going to connect. This difficulty in achieving that genuine connection from the start is something that’s very common,” Ferrey explained.
One significant recommendation Rahman asked practitioners to consider when constructing mentorship programming is cross-cultural communication skills strengthening. The YouthLead program offered sensitivity training and guidance that he found invaluable when connecting with his mentor who lived in Sri Lanka.
PYD Symposium attendees report on their group's discussion on Gender Barriers at the National Housing Center in Washington D.C.
An Odyssey of Learning
Day 2 unfolded with a focus on holistic youth programming, adaptation to non-permissive environments, and workforce development activities. Presenters underscored the need for flexibility and highlighted the transformative potential of youth engagement.
Reflecting on the previous day, participants explored the past decade of PYD progress, discussed future priorities, and raised critical questions for the field. The commitment to intentional bridge-building, translation of resources into more locally accessible languages, and continued evidence-building emerged as cornerstones for future endeavors.
Sheryl Stumbras, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation, USAID, expressed gratitude for the wealth of knowledge shared during the symposium. She emphasized the significance of creating safe environments for youth, collaborating with them, and taking the symposium's lessons back to communities.
“I ask you all to think about this: What can you all bring back to your communities and share with someone else?” Stumbras asked.
Participants were urged by Stumbras to carry their newfound knowledge to their communities, share it with others, and hold organizations accountable for meaningful youth engagement. The commitment to building safer and more inclusive environments for young people remains steadfast.