There are more than 2.4 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 29 today, many of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. They are inheriting a world that is experiencing major challenges: eroding social cohesion and rising inequality, growing global health threats, and proliferating crises, including violent conflict and the climate crisis.
Young people are advocates and changemakers who drive efforts to improve lives today and build a more equitable tomorrow. That’s why FHI 360 partners with young people to design and implement programs that meet their needs and build more inclusive, stable, peaceful and thriving communities and countries. Our work focuses on:
- Generating and applying evidence to help young people thrive.
- Promoting youth-led action on priorities that they define.
- Championing positive youth development and accelerating local actors’ capacities to partner with and support young people.
- Enhancing systems to ensure that they support and engage young people effectively, now and in the future.
Learn more about our approach through our youth development framework.
Our work with young people
Throughout various sectors, FHI 360 partners with young people to achieve four main aims:
Supporting physical and mental well-being
Through our research and programs, young people benefit from more responsive health care services, including those that address sexual and reproductive health, HIV, gender-based violence, mental health and nutrition.
Enhancing education and skills
We support young people to access quality education and we promote career readiness. We also work with formal and nonformal education actors to integrate foundational skills into programs that promote vocational or technical skills and employability, entrepreneurship, civic participation, and healthy behaviors.
Fostering civic and political participation
We partner with organizations that are led by and serve young people to encourage youth participation in local development and decision-making and to support young people to act on important issues.
Increasing economic participation and livelihoods
We support young job seekers to develop market-driven skills and access education, training and resources that improve their career readiness, employability, and entrepreneurship skills. We also work with the private sector to build a youth-inclusive business model and enhance the ecosystem for youth entrepreneurship.
Featured projects
Health
Civic engagement
Featured resources
- Youth Programming Assessment Tool
- YouthPower Action Youth Soft Skills Assessment
- Ensuring Safe and Inclusive Spaces
- YouthPower Action AGYW Mentoring Program Toolkit
- Young Emanzi Toolkit for Mentoring Adolescent Boys and Young MenResources from FHI 360’s National Institute for Work & Learning
- Tools for Delivering School-Based Adolescent Nutrition Interventions
- Implementation Tips for USAID Partners: Engaging Youth Across the Program Cycle
- Implementation Tips for USAID Partners: Developing Tailored Youth Activities
- Implementation Tips for USAID Partners: Fostering Relationships With and Among Youth
- Implementation Tips for USAID Partners: Creating a Supportive Enabling EnvironmentImplementation Tips for USAID Partners: Inspiring Youth to Civic Action