Youth Development Labs Inc

YLABS DESIGNS TECHNOLOGIES THAT AMPLIFY YOUTH POWER, AGENCY, AND OPPORTUNITY.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING INCLUDING:CYBERRWANDACYBERRWANDA IS A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT AIMS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND LIVELIHOODS OF URBAN AND PERI-URBAN ADOLESCENTS (12-19 YEARS) THROUGH NARRATIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE, STORYLINES, AN FAQ LIBRARY, AND A YOUTH-FRIENDLY PHARMACY LOCATOR. CYBERRWANDA IS BEING ROLLED OUT IN 40 SCHOOLS AND DISTRICT-LEVEL YOUTH CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE CYBERRWANDA PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES GAMIFIED DIGITAL AND IN-PERSON TRAINING FOR PHARMACISTS AT PARTNERING HEALTH FACILITIES THAT EDUCATE THEM ON TOPICS SUCH AS PROVIDER BIAS, YOUTH ACCESS TO HEALTH PRODUCTS, AND VOLUNTARY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE. CYBERRWANDA IS A SIX-YEAR PROJECT (2018 - 2024) IMPLEMENTED IN RWANDA BY YLABS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HEALTH - RWANDA, WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, RWANDA BIOMEDICAL CENTER, AND THE RWANDA EDUCATION BOARD. OUR EVALUATION PARTNERS ARE THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA. OUR TWO-YEAR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH 6,000 YOUTH THROUGHOUT RWANDA DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFE SEXUAL/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIORS. THESE INCLUDED INCREASED HIV TESTING RATES (38% TO 52%), INCREASED CONDOM USE (40% TO 58%), AND INCREASED BELIEF THAT CONTRACEPTIVE USE IS FOR YOUTH AND NOT JUST MARRIED COUPLES (39% TO 53%). THE PROGRAM HAS CURRENTLY REACHED OVER 25,000 YOUTH IN 64 SCHOOLS AND 13 YOUTH CENTERS, AND TRAINED 108 SERVICE PROVIDERS IN YOUTH-FRIENDLY PROVISION OF CARE.KIJANA NAHODHAIN PARTNERSHIP WITH USAID, T-MARC TANZANIA, CARE TANZANIA, AND THE TANZANIA YOUTH COALITION, YLABS IS SUPPORTING THE USAID KIJANA NAHODHA PROJECT, WHICH MEANS "THE YOUTH LEADER" IN SWAHILI. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE KEY PRIORITIES DEFINED BY YOUTH AND IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS TO THE BARRIERS IMPEDING YOUTH'S SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TOWARD ADULTHOOD. THROUGH A HOLISTIC, YOUTH-LED APPROACH TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WE WILL ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SKILLS, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT NECESSARY TO THRIVE. THE PROJECT AIMS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF YOUTH TO BECOME LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS, INCLUDING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND HIV CARE.YLABS HAS OVERSEEN THREE CORE ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING: 1. A SOCIAL IMPACT ACCELERATOR DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF FIVE LOCAL YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS; 2. AN ANTI-BIAS TRAINING PROGRAM TO ASSIST HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN ADMINISTERING YOUTH-FRIENDLY CARE TO ADOLESCENT PATIENTS; AND 3. A DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR YOUTH TO LEARN ABOUT SENSITIVE HEALTH TOPICS AND CONNECT TO ANTI-BIAS-TRAINED HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. YLABS IS NOW SUPPORTING THE TOP-PERFORMING ORGANIZATION FROM THE SOCIAL IMPACT ACCELERATOR TO IMPLEMENT A SIX-MONTH PILOT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. THE ANTI-BIAS TRAINING PROGRAM HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED TO 250 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ACROSS 50 FACILITIES, AND TO 350 COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ACROSS THREE OF TANZANIA'S LARGEST CITIES (DAR ES SALAAM, MOROGORO, AND ZANZIBAR). THE DIGITAL PLATFORM IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH 40,000 YOUNG PEOPLE UPON ITS RELEASE IN SUMMER 2024.ASKING FOR A FRIENDWORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUTH IN THE US, YLABS IS BUILDING A NEW DIGITAL PLATFORM, ASKING FOR A FRIEND, WHERE ACTIONABLE DECISION-SUPPORT MEETS FRICTIONLESS SERVICE WAYFINDING, WHILE ADDRESSING YOUTH'S MAIN ACCESS BARRIERS: COST, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND KNOWING THEIR RIGHTS. ASKING FOR A FRIEND IS THE FIRST DIGITAL ONE-STOP-SHOP PLATFORM DESIGNED TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT, FIND, AND ACCESS SAFE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE.TO DATE, WE HAVE ENGAGED OVER 270 YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS URBAN AND RURAL PARTS OF CALIFORNIA IN THE DESIGN OF THIS PLATFORM. THIS INCLUDES A YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD, YOUTH CONTENT CREATORS, ARTISTS, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS, AND OUTREACH AMBASSADORS. WE EXPECT TO REACH OVER 50,000 YOUTH IN CALIFORNIA THROUGH OUR FAQ LIBRARY, DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS, AND HEALTHCARE SERVICE FINDER. THE PLATFORM PROVIDES SUPPORT AND ACTIONABLE ADVICE ON THE TOPICS YOUTH SHARED WERE MOST CHALLENGING FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE, INCLUDING CONTRACEPTIVE OPTIONS, GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CONSENT AND COMMUNICATION, AND FINDING LOW-COST, CONFIDENTIAL CARE. THE SERVICE FINDER DATABASE CURRENTLY INCLUDES OVER 2,000 IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH RESOURCES, WITH PERSONALIZED FILTERS ADDRESSING YOUTH'S BIGGEST BARRIERS TO CARE (E.G. APPOINTMENTS AND OPEN HOURS, NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING PROVIDERS, AND CASH PAYMENT OPTIONS). THE PLATFORM WILL FORMALLY LAUNCH IN SUMMER 2024.OTHER PROGRAMSYLABS HAS PARTNERED WITH THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION TO DESIGN AND LAUNCH THE FIRST IMPACT LAB. THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION IMPACT LABS ARE SET TO EXPLORE, VALIDATE, AND SCALE INNOVATIVE PATHWAYS TO UNDERSTANDING, MEASURING, AND ACCELERATING IMPACT FOR 30 MILLION YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN IN AFRICA AND 100,000 INDIGENOUS YOUTH IN CANADA BY 2030.IN RWANDA, WITH SUPPORT FROM GRAND CHALLENGES CANADA, YLABS IMPLEMENTED TEGURA EJO HEZA IN YOUTH CENTERS USED BY OVER 2,000 YOUNG PEOPLE IN RWANDA. THROUGH TRAINED PEER-SUPPORT YOUTH AMBASSADORS, CALLED "WELLNESS WARRIORS", AND A DIGITAL PLATFORM, BOHOKA (OR "FREE YOURSELF"), YOUNG PEOPLE COULD ACCESS INFORMATION ON MENTAL HEALTH, WELLBEING, AND LINKAGE TO IN-FACILITY AND REMOTE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. THE PROGRAM REACHED OVER 6,000 YOUTH AND, AFTER JUST FIVE MONTHS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED AN INCREASE IN WELLBEING AND A DECREASE IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND STIGMA.IN LAGOS, NIGERIA AND NAIROBI, KENYA, IN COLLABORATION WITH LSHTM, C40, AND URBAN BETTER, YLABS WORKED ON THE CHILDREN, CITIES AND CLIMATE ACTION LAB, WHICH AIMS TO ADDRESS THE INTERCONNECTED CHALLENGES OF AVERTING CLIMATE BREAKDOWN; LEVERAGING THE CENTRAL ROLE OF CITIES IN REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND IMPROVING HUMAN HEALTH; AND ANALYZING THE CHILD HEALTH CO-BENEFITS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. IN GHANA AND SIERRA LEONE, WE COLLABORATED WITH PLAN INTERNATIONAL TO DESIGN AND RUN THE EDUCATION UNINTERRUPTED INCUBATOR, A PROGRAM TO ADVANCE UNINTERRUPTED ACCESS TO INCLUSIVE, QUALITY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.IN MEXICO, WE COLLABORATED WITH CISIDAT TO DISCERN THE FACTORS THAT DRIVE OR HINDER YOUNG MSM FROM SEEKING PREP AND EXPLORE EFFECTIVE WAYS FOR CBOS TO DISSEMINATE PREP INFORMATION TO THEM THROUGH VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.IN THE USA, YLABS PARTNERED WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD MARMONTE TO CONDUCT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH WITH LATINX YOUTH AGES 15-18 IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA TO UNDERSTAND THEIR MOTIVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN USING CON CONFIANZA - A GAMIFIED PLATFORM TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE'S SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-EFFICACY.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBAL HEALTHCARE COMPANY ORGANON, YLABS CREATED A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK TO BRING A CLIMATE LENS TO SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INVESTMENTS IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME, CLIMATE-VULNERABLE COUNTRIES. THE FRAMEWORK IS A GUIDE FOR SRHR FUNDERS ON HOW TO PRACTICALLY YET STRATEGICALLY ASSESS, ANTICIPATE, AND RESPOND TO THE GENDERED IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THEIR SRHR PROGRAMS AND GRANT INVESTMENTS.FINALLY, WE HOSTED THE FUTURE OF SEX ED: GLOBAL CONVENING, A VIRTUAL EVENT BRINGING TOGETHER A CURATED GROUP OF EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS, FUNDERS, YOUTH, AND ACTIVISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO INSPIRE AN ALTERNATIVE, YOUTH-LED VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF SEX EDUCATION!