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. USAID is committed to developing resources that help youth in their Positive Youth Development (PYD) journey. To learn more about PYD, please see, What is Positive Youth Development or “PYD”?

Garnered from global research, this toolkit provides resources and examples of constructive youth safe spaces (YSS), including after-school programs (ASP) and youth centers (YC). These are collectively referred to as YSS/YC/ASPs throughout this toolkit.