Reengage, Rebuild and Reconnect at the 2021 All Youth Connecting Forum!

For a fourth year, the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is partnering with the National League of Cities (NLC) Reengagement Network and other local and national partners for the All Youth Connecting Forum. One year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth-serving organizations have transformed and tried out a myriad of tools and models to reach young people. At the Forum we’ll dive into these new approaches, explore what the labor market may hold for young people, and discuss policy changes that will create an equitable recovery. 

Reengage through Youth Leadership: Our 2020 Annual Forum last December attracted over 400 attendees from around the country including over 100 young adults making it one of the largest youth gatherings at an NYEC convening. Youth participants led several sessions, participated in a 2020 Election Debrief panel, showcased their talents via singing, art, and poetry, and presented their pending ideas and ongoing projects during our first ever “Action Hour.” In June we are expanding Action Hour by awarding several recipients mini-grants to advance their projects, business ventures and causes. Applications are due May 14th and are open for young adults ages 16-24. More information can be found here: https://form.jotform.com/210967299596173. 

Reconnecting with the Field: The convening will take place on our award-winning Whova app. Our conference strands reflect current and forward-thinking topics that will be relevant to shaping what the field looks like after the pandemic ends. The conference will allow ample opportunities to engage in informal networking after the end of each day with pop-up talks and games. Attendees can message each other, set up virtual meetings within the Whova app and connect with presenters. Most sessions will be recorded, and all presenter materials can be accessed on the app. At our last convening, 98% of attendees found value in the convening, 86% found a sense of greater healing, joy, or optimism, 97% agreed that the Forum was a valuable professional development experience and 94% found that the convening was unique gathering place for the field. Register today!

Rebuild with each other: Our conference strands are designed to be forward-thinking in shaping what the field looks like after post-COVID-19. During the conference our sessions will lead to conversation and insights into what the youth labor market in your area look like after the pandemic. How are we preventing staff burnout and turnover? How are we sustaining advocacy or organizing efforts after the pandemic? And, How are we prioritizing mental health as an organization, for staff and young people? We welcome youth leaders to present as well at the convening. Learn more and submit a session by April 26th here: https://form.jotform.com/210764734903154 

The NYEC Network: NYEC is a membership organization for youth-serving organizations. NYEC members receive a 25% discount on Forum registrations. The discount code can be found in the Member Portal. If your organization is not an NYEC member, please consider joining to take advantage of this and other benefits of members. 

We look forward to welcoming you in June!