YouthPower Action is dedicated to scaling evidence-based, positive youth development in all sectors and country contexts to improve capacities and enable the aspirations of youth so they can contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic and prosperous communities and nations. Supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), YouthPower Action is led by FHI 360 and its consortium of partners. With a wide range of technical and geographic expertise, each partner brings approaches to positive youth development and a commitment to active youth engagement in implementation activities.
YouthPower Action seeks to strengthen local, national and global youth systems and programs to achieve sustainable, positive youth outcomes in health, education, and political and economic empowerment. This project will:
- Increase opportunities and services available to youth. Young people will be able to access youth-friendly services in youth-friendly spaces located within their communities.
- Improve the quality of services offered to youth. Services will acknowledge the unique needs of young people and leverage their talents and ambitions.
- Engage youth in policymaking and development activities. Youth will be involved in all stages of development to ensure quality programming. Through these opportunities, young people build decision-making, teamwork and leadership skills to solve community problems.
Activities that increase youth engagement and youth voice will be infused throughout YouthPower Action. Examples of project activities include:
- Designing a cross-sectoral youth assessment tool that can be used at the post-award phase to improve implementation of positive youth development programs
- Creating and piloting a model to improve retention in HIV care and treatment adherence among youth
- In Mozambique’s project, providing support to older orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs), parents and caregivers, and youth-headed households, using a positive youth development approach
- Developing and piloting a mentoring program for adolescent girls and young women
- Identifying soft and life skills that predict positive outcomes for youth across the domains of sexual and reproductive health, violence prevention and the workforce
- Designing a training curriculum that will facilitate learning about youth development and build practical skills for integrating positive youth development into programming
