Pre-Summit Sessions and Lunch and Learns

Choose between two Pre-Summit Training Sessions and two Sponsor-led Lunch and Learns. Registration is required. All sign-ups are first come, first served.

• Designing Holistic Youth Economic Programming Join us for an engaging and interactive training session on designing comprehensive economic programming for youth. This session will provide participants with the tools and knowledge needed to create programs that address the multifaceted needs of young people. Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical exercises, you'll learn key design principles that integrate holistic skill and asset building. Participants will explore ways to expand curriculum overviews and sessions to cover various aspects of youth development, from financial literacy and entrepreneurship to personal growth and community engagement. Our hands-on approach ensures you'll have the chance to apply these principles in real-time, crafting impactful and inclusive economic programming. Participants with all levels of experience with curriculum and program development are welcome. Facilitators: Hillary Proctor, Senior Director, Economic Opportunities, Making Cents International. Katherine Atkinson, Advisor, Youth, Y-RIE project in St. Lucia, Making Cents International.
• Applying YP2LE's MERL Practitioner Toolkit to Youth Economic Opportunities Programs In this training, attendees will learn about and practice applying USAID YP2LE’s newly published PYD MERL Practitioner Toolkit to improve MERL strategies, processes, and implementation. The Toolkit provides practical guidance on how to integrate PYD into MERL approaches for youth-focused, youth-led, and youth-relevant activities. This includes how to integrate PYD into context analyses; program outcomes, interventions, and theories of change; measurement approaches; CLA and monitoring systems; and research and evaluation activities. Cross-cutting topics including youth-responsive and youth-led MERL, systems approaches, inclusive development, and research ethics will also be discussed. Participants will be guided through the Toolkit-by-Toolkit authors and technical advisors, learn about how these approaches have been applied in three workforce development (WFD) and economic opportunities (EO) programs, and complete exercises to practice incorporating PYD into MERL activities. Trainers: Melissa Donaher – MEL Specialist, Center for Education, USAID; Sharika Bhattacharya - Advisor, Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Making Cents International; Chelsea Pallatino - Senior Specialist, Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Making Cents International; Miguel Nunez - Senior Technical Advisor, Creative Associates International; Mark Meziere - Senior Associate (MEAL) and Research, Skills to Succeed, Save the Children; and, Brian Batayeh - Implementation Research Technical Advisor, IREX
• Sponsor Led - Lunch and Learn Session : EDC and USAID EDC Lightning Talk: Youth in a Just Transition: Solutions at the Nexus of the Climate Agenda, Skills Development, and Youth Employment ​Speaker: Melanie Sany, Director, Youth, Workforce Development and Green Economies, Education Development Center​. Description: This lightning talk will discuss the priorities at the nexus of climate action, skills development, and youth employment. EDC’s Melanie Sany will highlight examples of locally-led strategies and solutions for transitioning to a green economy. Participants will learn from the experiences and research findings of Our World, Our Work, EDC’s 10- year initiative to support 1 million youth in pursuing green jobs.
• ​USAID Lightning Talk:Strengthening Youth Workforce Development Systems: Lessons Learned from the Philippines, Tunisia, and South Africa​ Speaker: Melissa Donaher, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist, USAID. Description:The talk will explore youth workforce development (YWFD) ecosystem collaboration through findings from case study research in the Philippines, Tunisia, and South Africa. The speaker will discuss the role of government as a critical system actor in scaling sustainable YWFD reforms, and the importance of partnerships among the private sector, government, and civil society. The talk will present key findings and recommendations that are less commonly discussed around YWFD systems change, such as the importance of large-scale data systems, structures and mindsets which support iterative learning and adaptation, and the power of high-level cross-sectoral initiatives to shift how systems actors collaborate. This research was commissioned by USAID to support the design and implementation of more locally led, sustainable youth Activities, but is relevant to implementing partners and local system actors involved in youth education and employment.
• Sponsor Led - Lunch and Learn Session: Partnerships for a Green Future Palladium Lightening Talk: Partnerships for a Green Future. Speakers: Andrew Ireland, Manager, Climate and Nature, Palladium. Katy Vickland, Director of Youth, Education and Workforce Development, Palladium. Description: The lightning talk will share best practices from the Partnerships for Forests (P4F) program, which facilitates shared-value partnerships between local communities, government, and the private sector to improve forest conservation and reduce CO2 emissions. The session will dive into a case study of JAVARA, an Indonesian food company specializing in forest products and creating sustainable livelihoods for Indigenous youth. The session will also share best practices in forest-friendly partnerships that the audience can apply in their work.
• Catholic Relief Services Lightening Talk: Transforming Youth Agriculture:  Integrating Young Farmers in SPICES Value Chains. Speaker: Olivia Rasolomampianina, Chief of Party, TSIRO Alliance project, Catholic Relief Services. Description: CRS' SPICES program offers a transformative path to young farmers. Across the globe, young farmers are leaving the agricultural sector due to challenges ranging from limited access to land to production knowledge gaps and limited incomes. However, there are opportunities to provide young people with sustainable livelihoods in agriculture. One such initiative, working in partnership with companies, is equipping the next generation of farmers with critical skills in production, processing and certification that are focused on high-value crops such as cacao and spices. So, join us to hear about CRS’ approach to support a new generation of farmers!