The Forum For Youth Investment

THE FORUM FOR YOUTH INVESTMENT'S MISSION IS TO CHANGE THE ODDS THAT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE READY BY 21 - READY FOR COLLEGE, WORK, AND LIFE.

PLANNING & PARTNERING FOR IMPACT:WE SUPPORT BOUNDARY-SPANNING LEADERS CHARGED WITH CREATING OR IMPLEMENTING PLANS THAT REQUIRE A FOCUS ON THE BIGGER PICTURE. WE HELP LEADERS CONNECT THE DOTS ACROSS COMPLEX AND SOMETIMES COMPETING GOALS, SERVICES, PLANS, AND PARTNERS. TO DO THIS WE: SHARPEN AND ALIGN IDEAS, DEVELOPING THE TRANSLATION GUIDES AND CONCEPTUAL TOOLS THAT HELP LEADERS MAKE THE CASE AND NAVIGATE ACROSS MULTIPLE SYSTEMS, DISCIPLINES, AND ISSUE AREAS; BUILD THE CAPACITY OF LEADERS TO THINK DIFFERENTLY, ACT DIFFERENTLY, AND ACT TOGETHER VIA IN-PERSON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, COACHING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; AND MANAGING LEARNING GROUPS, COLLABORATIVES, AND APPLIED RESEARCH INITIATIVES AIMED AT ALIGNING AND IMPROVING STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT, PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. MUCH OF THIS WORK IS DONE UNDER THE NAME OF BIG PICTURE APPROACH TRAINING AND CONSULTING.

STRENGTHENING PRACTICES & PROGRAMS:THROUGH OUR WEIKART CENTER FOR YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY, WE EMPOWER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, AND HUMAN SERVICE SYSTEM LEADERS TO ADOPT, IMPLEMENT, AND SCALE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT ENSURE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, COORDINATED SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. OUR OFFERINGS INCLUDE: AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH TO CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, CALLED THE YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY INTERVENTION (YPQI); AN ASSESSMENT THAT PROVIDES MEANINGFUL AND ACTIONABLE PERFORMANCE DATA TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS, VIA THE YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY ASSESSMENT (YPQA) FAMILY OF MEASURES; CAPACITY-BUILDING TRAININGS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF YOUTH PROGRAMS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THEM VIA YOUTH WORK METHODS & MANAGEMENT TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOT) AND OTHER TRAININGS; AND SYSTEM CONSULTING FOR LEADERS TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE THEIR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS.

IMPROVING & ALIGNING POLICIES:THE FORUM'S POLICY UNIT HELPS POLICYMAKERS, ADVOCATES, AND RISING LEADERS INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY BY ALIGNING WITH OTHER ADVOCATES, DEPARTMENTS, SECTORS, AND LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO USE DATA AND EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE WHOLE CHILD. WE SUPPORT LEADERS' EFFORTS TO ALIGN FRAGMENTED POLICIES THAT FAVOR SYSTEM-FOCUSED RATHER THAN CHILD- AND YOUTH-FOCUSED OUTCOMES; USE DATA AND RESEARCH THAT MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE BEST TYPES OF EVIDENCE TO NOT ONLY JUSTIFY PROGRAM SPENDING, BUT ALSO SUPPORT PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT; ADVOCATE EFFECTIVELY, IDENTIFYING TANGIBLE, MEASURABLE WAYS TO ADVANCE SOCIAL AND RACIAL EQUITY; AND COMMUNICATE POWERFULLY TO INSPIRE ACTION WITH LOCALIZED DATA, SUCCESS EXAMPLES, AND LEADER STORIES. OUR SIGNATURE EFFORTS INCLUDE: SPARKACTION, THE CHILDREN'S CABINET NETWORKS, OPPORTUNITY NATION & THE OPPORTUNITY INDEX, THE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH NETWORK, AND THE RECONNECTING YOUTH CAMPAIGN.

DETROIT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE CENTER: THE FORUM SERVES AS THE FISCAL HOME TO THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE CENTER, AN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME CAPACITY BUILDER THAT ADVOCATES FOR HIGH-QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DETROIT'S YOUTH. WE OFFER CAPACITY-BUILDING AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE QUALITY OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.