Pathways for Youth 1

PATHWAYS FOR YOUTH:

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR FEDERAL COLLABORATION

Prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs

December 2016
Pathways for Youth 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................5

Background..........................................................................................................................5

Pathways for Youth Development........................................................................................7

A VISION FOR YOUTH....................................................................................................................11

LOGIC MODEL TO RELATE FEDERAL COLLABORATION TO YOUTH OUTCOMES............12

STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................13

Goal 1..................................................................................................................................15

 Objective 1...........................................................................................................16

 Objective 2...........................................................................................................17

 Objective 3...........................................................................................................18

Goal 2..................................................................................................................................19

 Objective 1...........................................................................................................20

 Objective 2...........................................................................................................22

Goal 3..................................................................................................................................24

 Objective 1...........................................................................................................25

 Objective 2...........................................................................................................26

WORKING GROUP CROSS-CUTTING INITIATIVES....................................................................27

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS..........................................................................................................28

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pathways for Youth 3

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs 

(Working Group) is comprised of twelve federal 

departments and seven federal agencies that support 

activities that focus on youth. This report, Pathways for 

Youth, is a first step to help the partners address their 

common goals for youth, elevate strong models of youth 

programs, policies, and other supports, and articulate 

areas for future collaborative work with and for youth. 

The Working Group solicited input from a wide range of 

stakeholders, including young people, families, schools, 

nonprofit organizations, State Children’s Cabinet directors, 

government organizations at the federal, state, and local 

levels, and others. Several themes emerged from the 

input, which are crafted into a vision for youth. This vision 

acknowledges the importance of pathways to opportunity 

for youth that include meaningful connections and safe, 

healthy, and stable places to live, learn, and work. 

Pathways for Youth considers all youth, with an emphasis 

on the most vulnerable youth, particularly those who 

are disconnected from school, work, or family. The 

consequences are serious for both individuals and society 

as a whole, as young people who are disconnected cost 

the nation billions of dollars every year in lost earnings, 

welfare and medical costs, and unmet personal potential.1

Youth who are at risk for disconnection or are already 

disconnected experience an interrelated set of issues best 

addressed through a coordinated approach. For example, 

youth at risk for disconnection are more likely to graduate 

from high school or receive a Certificate of General 

Educational Development (GED) if they have transportation 

to classes; keep a job if they address mental health 

or substance abuse concerns; and transition out of a 

homeless shelter if they have connections to supportive 

adults and resources to secure a permanent home and 

employment. Federal coordination is critical to the support 

of vulnerable youth across these issue areas. The best 

use of federal resources will maximize existing flexibilities 

and explore strategies for bringing work together across 

agencies.

1 Belfield, C.R., Levin, H. M., Rosen, R. (2012). The economic value 

of opportunity youth. Available on the Corporation for National and 

Community Service’s website at http://www.serve.gov/new-images/

council/pdf/econ_value_opportunity_youth.pdf (PDF, 49 pages).

Pathways for Youth builds on the progress and 

accomplishments of the Working Group that are 

highlighted in the supporting documents. The plan is 

distinct from agency plans in that it has a specific focus 

on federal collaboration related to youth programs. The 

Working Group collaborated with its partner agencies 

and related key federal coordination groups to develop 

Pathways for Youth and ensure its alignment with federal 

strategic plans. 

Pathways for Youth is founded on three 

overarching and interrelated strategic 

goals; each is supported by a number of 

objectives and strategies. The strategic 

goals address the Working Group’s 

primary purposes, as well as the 

input generated by the stakeholders 

at federal, state, and local levels. 

This plan represents an initial step 

in identifying strategies for federal 

collaboration and provides a basis 

for future actions related to positive 

outcomes for youth. Through the 

work of individual agencies 

and in collaboration across 

departments, the Working 

Group will pursue the 

three strategic goals 

outlined in this plan to 

improve outcomes for 

youth. As the Working 

Group pursues the goals 

and objectives outlined in 

this plan, it will be able to 

set targets for collaborative 

results and identify areas for 

strategic recommendations 

and initiatives to address common goals for youth. These 

activities will be undertaken together within existing 

authorities and areas of administrative flexibility for 

departments and agencies to do their work. The Working 

Group will explore federal barriers and solutions for 

improving coordination and leveraging better outcomes for 

youth.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pathways for Youth 4

COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION

Promote coordinated strategies to improve youth 

outcomes.

Objective 1: Align and simplify federal guidance for youth 

programs.

Objective 2: Coordinate youth programming and funding 

support at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels.

Objective 3: Coordinate technical assistance efforts to 

leverage resources.

EVIDENCE-BASED AND INNOVATIVE 

STRATEGIES

Promote the use of evidence-based and innovative 

strategies at federal, state, local, and tribal levels.

Objective 1: Encourage the adoption of evidence-based 

strategies, and support their implementation.

Objective 2: Support innovation and deepen the evidence 

base to fill gaps in knowledge.

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS

Promote youth engagement and partnership to strengthen 

programs and benefit youth. 

Objective 1: Promote youth-adult partnerships to support 

sustained youth engagement efforts and strengthen 

programs.

Objective 2: Provide and encourage federal, state, 

local, and tribal provision of multiple opportunities 

for youth to develop, master, and apply critical 

skills, including life and leadership skills.

The plan also outlines four cross-cutting 

initiatives developed by the Working Group:

1. Develop shared language on cross-cutting youth 

topics for federal grant applications and other 

federal documents and publications.

2. Develop new or assess and disseminate existing 

models of collaboration that provide a pathway to 

opportunity for youth and yield positive results.

3. Centralize and disseminate information on promising 

and evidence-based strategies for youth, including 

promising youth engagement and partnership 

strategies.

4. Promote data collection and long-term evaluation of 

youth programs.

Pathways for Youth concludes with supporting 

documents, including Executive Order 13459, Omnibus 

Appropriations Act language, the Working Group 

federal participant list, the executive summary of the 

Draft Public Input Summary Report, and the Pathways 

for Youth at-a-glance overview.

GOAL

GOAL

GOAL
Pathways for Youth 5

INTRODUCTION

Background

The primary function of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs 

(Working Group) is to support coordinated federal activities focused on 

improving outcomes for youth. The Working Group is comprised of staff 

from twelve federal departments and seven federal agencies that support 

activities that focus on youth (see Figure 1). 

The Working Group’s responsibilities relative 

to youth programs were defined in Executive 

Order 13459, issued in 2008, as well as 

the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 

Committee Print of the House Committee 

on Appropriations on H.R. 1105/Public 

Law 111-8, Division F.

As a result of these directives, the 

Working Group engages in the following 

activities:

• Promotes innovative collaborations at 

federal, state, local, and tribal levels;

• Identifies and disseminates evidencebased strategies;

• Produces a federal interagency website on 

youth.

Youth programs and research activities are spread 

across the nineteen partner federal departments and 

agencies, which makes the Working Group’s efforts 

to exchange knowledge, coordinate activities, reduce 

duplication, maximize resources, and share effective 

strategies to best support youth critical. The Working Group 

benefits greatly from our federal representatives’ broad, diverse, and 

substantial expertise in youth research, programming, and policy.

In 2009, the Omnibus Appropriations Act (2009 Committee Print of the 

House Committee on Appropriations on H.R. 1105/Public Law 111-8, 

Division F) directed the Working Group to perform additional activities, to

• Solicit input from young people, State Children’s Cabinet directors, 

and nonprofit organizations on youth programs and policies; develop 

an overarching strategic plan for federal youth policy, and prepare 

recommendations to improve the coordination, effectiveness, and 

efficiency of programs affecting youth.

The Working Group welcomes this opportunity to undertake these 

activities and identify strategies for federal collaboration. Federal partner 

departments and agencies provide support to youth, their families, schools, 

and communities through a variety of mechanisms, despite addressing the 

strengths and needs of different populations of youth and using different 

Who are youth?

The Working Group primarily 

focuses on youth ages 10-24. 

However, it is never too early or too 

late to provide supports for young 

people, and many of the partner 

agencies target different ages of youth 

in alignment with their program goals. 

Through this plan, the Working Group 

encourages close collaboration 

with systems along a continuum, 

from early childhood through 

adulthood. 
Pathways for Youth 6

frameworks to describe what places youth “at risk.” However, the Working 

Group agrees that the plan helps the partners address their common goals 

for youth, elevate strong models of youth programs, policies, and other 

supports, and articulate areas for future collaborative work with and for 

youth.

The program of work described in this plan is designed to maximize what 

agencies are able to accomplish by working collaboratively. Examples of 

successful collaborations are highlighted throughout the plan.

The Working Group’s cross-agency website, youth.gov, will be used on an 

ongoing basis to engage stakeholders in implementation activities and to 

disseminate results. In 2015, the Working Group renamed and relaunched 

the website as youth.gov (formerly FindYouthInfo.gov) to more easily and 

clearly communicate its focus on youth and the cross-cutting nature of its 

content. Given that the Working Group has no dedicated funding, the scope 

of work that the Working Group will be able to undertake will depend on 

the funds and other resources agencies are able to provide as leaders or 

partners in these efforts.

FIGURE 1

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Census Bureau

U.S. Department of Defense 

Military Community and Family Policy, Office of Children 

and Youth

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve 

Affairs

U.S. Department of Education 

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education 

Office of Communications

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office 

of Safe and Healthy Students and Office of School 

Turnaround

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 

 Office of Special Education Programs

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Chair) 

Administration for Children and Families

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Health Resources and Services Administration

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 

Evaluation

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

Public and Indian Housing

U.S. Department of the Interior

Office of Youth in the Great Outdoors 

Bureau of Indian Affairs

U.S. Department of Justice (Vice-Chair)

National Institute of Justice

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Violence Against Women

U.S. Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration

Office of Disability Employment Policy

U.S. Department of State

Office of Global Youth Issues

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

U.S. Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Office of Financial Education

Corporation for National and Community Service

AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps National 

Civilian Community Corps

National Science Foundation

Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal 

Settings

Office of National Drug Control Policy

Office of Demand Reduction

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Environmental Education

U.S. Small Business Administration

Office of Entrepreneurship Education

U.S. Social Security Administration

Office of Retirement, Disability, and Employment Supports

Office of Retirement and Disability Policy

Federal departments and agencies represented on the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (2016).
Pathways for Youth 7

Pathways for Youth Development

The Working Group pursued a multistep strategy in developing the plan.

Develop a framework for input. Together, the Working Group developed 

a framework for input (see Figure 2) that encompassed key priorities for 

the process. This framework guided the input process by providing the 

rationale for the topics discussed at all listening sessions and webinars. 

Underlying the framework, and also integrated in the input process, was 

a consideration of the cultural factors influencing youth. The values and 

beliefs of their ethnic backgrounds, social environments, or class positions 

influence their development and growth as individuals, and shape their 

contributions to society. The framework depicts the range of programs 

and practices federal partners support (summarized on the left side of 

the framework) and the different populations of youth (system-involved 

youth, special youth populations, all youth) that the federal partners serve 

through their programs. The Working Group focused on three overarching 

outcomes for youth through this framework: (1) health, safety, wellness, and 

safe and stable housing; (2) school, family, and community engagement 

and connections; and (3) education, training, employment, transitions, and 

readiness for jobs, careers, and adulthood. The framework illustrates the 

need to consider youth across several developmental stages, including 

early adolescence (ages under 14); middle adolescence (ages 15-17); 

and late adolescence/early adulthood (ages 18-24). Finally, the framework 

incorporates a youth development approach, which includes youth as 

active agents in this process.

PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES

•Physical and mental health and wellness

•Education

•Violence prevention

•Juvenile justice intervention

•Enrichment opportunities

•Safety

•Service learning

•Employment

•Housing

Special youth

populations

Youth involved

in systems

All youth

School, Family,

and Community

Engagement

and Connections

Health, Safety,

Wellness, and

Safe and Stable

Housing

Early adolescence Middle adolescence Late adolescence /

early adulthood

Education, Training,

Employment,

Transition; and 

Readiness for Jobs,

Careers, and 

Adulthood

A youth development approach will promote positive outcomes as well as reduce risk, and includes

youth as active agents across developmental stages. Youth will be considered in the context of their

families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities; as well as their cultural and linguistic contexts.

FIGURE 2

Framework for Input on Strategic Plan for Federal Collaboration
Pathways for Youth 8

Solicit public input. The Working Group solicited input from young people, 

State Children’s Cabinet directors, and nonprofit organizations on youth 

programs and policies. In addition, the Working Group solicited input 

from family members; government organizations at the federal, state and 

local levels; policymakers; researchers; service providers; faith-based 

organizations; community-based organizations; state, and local affiliates of 

youth-serving organizations; and schools. A summary of public input was 

prepared by the American Institutes for Research.1

 The executive summary 

for that report is presented as a supporting document to this plan.

The Working Group solicited public input through a number of mechanisms, 

including four-hour public listening sessions held in ten locations across 

the country, shorter listening sessions held in conjunction with conferences 

focused on youth topics, listening sessions with youth, a roundtable with 

State Children’s Cabinet representatives, webinars with researchers and 

youth-serving programs, feedback through the youth.gov website, and a 

Federal Register notice.2

Public listening sessions often 

started with a focus on a 

specific youth topic (see Figure 

3) but in the course of these 

sessions many other youth 

topics were introduced and 

addressed by participants; this 

observed pattern reinforces 

the need for an integrated, 

coordinated and comprehensive 

approach to youth issues, one 

that is not “siloed.” Risk and 

protective factors may be a 

more useful basis for assessing 

and distinguishing young 

people’s service needs than 

their involvement with particular 

service areas (e.g., juvenile justice, positive youth development). Examples 

of questions posed in these sessions are presented in Figure 4.

Listening sessions were held with youth at the National 4-H Youth Leader 

Conference, the Systems of Care Conference, the Special Olympics 

National Games, the Bullying Prevention Summit, the Transportation Safety 

Conference, and the California Foster Care Education Summit. Youth at 

these sessions were racially and ethnically diverse, and ranged between 

1 Through interagency agreements with partner agencies, the Working Group supported a contract 

with American Institutes for Research (AIR), a firm based in Washington, DC. AIR worked with the 

Working Group to solicit, gather, and summarize input for the strategic plan from stakeholders,

including youth. AIR also supports the Working Group’s website, youth.gov, and contributes 

significant expertise in youth content.

2 370 total participants attended the public listening sessions; 45 youth attended the 6 youth 

listening sessions; 8 sessions were held in youth-focused conferences; 270 comments were 

submitted through the website (227 on the listening sessions and 43 on the draft plan); and 25 

submissions were received in response to the Federal Register notice.

Public listening sessions on specific 

youth topics:

•Education

•Employment and Transitions

•Housing

•Improving Outcomes for All Youth

•Juvenile Justice

• Mentoring

•Physical and Mental Health and Wellness

•Positive Youth Development

•Safety 

•Service Learning

•Youth Engagement 

•Youth Enrichment Opportunities

FIGURE 3
Pathways for Youth 9

the ages of 12 and 24. Youth attending the sessions provided a variety 

of perspectives. Some had disabilities, or had recently emancipated from 

foster care, or were in leadership positions. Many youth advocated for 

continued youth engagement and involvement in programs and activities 

at the federal, state, local and tribal levels. In addition, many advocated 

for issues related to such important areas as mental health; foster care; 

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning issues; grief and loss; 

suicide prevention; and substance use.

What was most striking about the listening sessions is that even though 

the questions began with a single topic on which to focus — e.g., housing, 

employment, or mentoring — the discussions that followed revealed that 

every topic is connected to a number of other topics, and that it was 

impossible to focus on a single topic without also touching upon those 

other topics as well. The interconnectedness of youth issues is clear.

Review key strategic documents on youth topics, including federal 

strategic plans. Twenty-three federal strategic plans were reviewed, in 

addition to 123 key strategic documents covering topics such as physical 

and mental health and wellness, education, juvenile justice, enrichment 

opportunities, safety, service learning, employment, and housing.

Examples of questions posed at public listening sessions (2010)

• What is the single most important thing we could do to make a difference in the lives of youth?

• What are the needs of youth (up to the age of 24)?

• What are effective programs and strategies?

• What are the program or policy gaps? 

•Do specific populations of youth have disproportionately poorer outcomes?

• What are some ways to best serve these populations?

• What programs really make a difference in the lives of youth? How do you know this?

• What are the barriers to collaborating on youth outcomes?

•How can these barriers be removed to improve collaboration?

• What types of initiatives could promote collaboration and improve outcomes for youth?

• What can be done for all youth (not just those directly benefiting from programs) in order to use 

resources effectively?

• What are your ideas for federal policy to improve the coordination, effectiveness, and efficiency of 

programs affecting youth?

Questions posed at youth listening sessions (2010)

• What programs really make a difference in the lives of youth? How do you know?

•How do you recommend we go about ensuring that we get input in a way that works really well for youth 

(i.e., doesn’t waste their time)? 

•Think about other young people you know. What makes them happy? What are they worried about? 

• What program has benefited you most personally, and how?

• What is the best way for us to get input and feedback from youth across the country who are involved in 

programs such as the ones you’ve mentioned?

•How should we go about getting input and feedback from youth across the country who are not involved 

in these programs?

FIGURE 4
Pathways for Youth 10

Summarize and post input and request public feedback. The Working 

Group summarized and posted on youth.gov the public input generated 

from the 10 public listening sessions, the smaller listening sessions held 

at conferences, the youth listening sessions, and the State Children’s 

Cabinet network listening session. Listening session participants and other 

interested individuals received monthly electronic newsletters that included 

a prompt to visit youth.gov, read the summaries, and provide feedback on 

the input.

Engage federal partners. The Working Group identified key initiatives 

that their departments and agencies were pursuing, either as individual 

agencies or in partnership with other agencies, which the plan should 

reflect or complement. These included broad public awareness initiatives, 

such as Let’s Move!, place-based3 efforts, such as Choice Neighborhoods 

and the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, issue-focused 

efforts, such as the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and 

agency-identified priorities like efforts to serve military families. 

The Working Group held a series of brainstorming sessions with our 

members and participants to gather ideas for the plan, consider versions of 

an outline for the plan itself, and develop goals, objectives, and strategies. 

Develop draft document and request public feedback. The Working 

Group prepared a draft document based on input received through the 

listening sessions and other mechanisms described above. This draft plan 

was posted on youth.gov for public comment, as is commonly done for 

federal strategic plans.

Finalize Pathways for Youth. The Working Group received 43 comments 

on the draft plan through youth.gov from 2013 to 2015. These comments 

generally supported Pathways for Youth and reiterated a need to continue 

collaboration at the federal level to support youth and young adults. 

Pathways for Youth was finalized in summer 2016.

3 "Place-based" policymaking refers to making decisions that account for the variations of specific 

places — recognizing that different places face vastly different challenges that require very different 

tools.
Pathways for Youth 11

A VISION FOR YOUTH

When the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs solicited input 

on the plan from federal agencies and the broader public, including youth 

themselves, several themes emerged that responded to these questions. 

Together, these themes comprise our vision for youth (Figure 5). 

A Vision for Youth

•Youth and their families have safe, healthy, and stable places to live, learn, 

and work.

•Youth have opportunities to access high quality, affordable healthcare.

•Youth have multiple opportunities to acquire education, training, life 

skills development, and to succeed in jobs, careers, self-sufficiency, and 

adulthood.

•Youth have strong, positive, stable connections to family, peers, school, 

supportive adults, and community.

•Youth-serving organizations and partnerships are staffed by individuals 

who are well-trained, knowledgeable in the field, competent, 

compassionate, and culturally responsive. 

•Youth are recognized by their community for their strengths and provided 

multiple opportunities for civic engagement, service, and leadership.

•Youth thrive throughout all phases of their development, including early 

and middle childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

FIGURE 5

To be realized, this vision will take the efforts of many partners. This plan 

focuses on the role of the federal government and the Working Group, but 

achieving this vision will also require strong partnerships from state and 

local government, the private sector, families, and youth.

The Strategic Goals and Objectives in the next section articulate strategies 

the Working Group can undertake, in the work of individual agencies and 

in collaboration across departments, to support youth and youth programs 

and help realize this vision.
Pathways for Youth 12

LOGIC MODEL TO RELATE FEDERAL COLLABORATION TO YOUTH 

OUTCOMES

The Working Group developed a logic model to relate federal collaboration to youth outcomes. This 

model represents how the activities undertaken by the Working Group may lead to outputs, outcomes, 

and impacts that fulfill the vision for youth described above. 

Outcomes & 

 Impacts

 (anticipated changes 

 in 7-10 years)

• Improved youth 

outcomes across 

domains:

◦ Health, safety, 

housing, & 

wellness

◦ School, family, 

& community 

engagement & 

connections

◦ Education, 

training, 

employment, 

transitions, & 

readiness for 

jobs, careers, & 

adulthood

Short- & Medium-

 Term Outcomes

 (anticipated changes in 

 1-6 years)

• Short

◦ Coordinated strategies 

that improve youth 

outcomes

◦ Youth engagement 

& youth-adult 

partnerships that 

strengthen programs 

& benefit youth 

◦ The use of evidencebased & innovative 

strategies at the 

federal, state, & local 

levels

• Medium

◦ Align & leverage 

resources (technical 

assistance, programs, 

& research)

◦ Stronger, more 

effective programs for 

youth

 Outputs

• Number of federal 

youth programs 

that promote 

the use of 

evidence-based 

or innovative 

strategies 

(increase)

• Number of federal 

youth programs 

that promote 

coordinated effort 

across domains 

(increase)

• Number of 

federal youth 

engagement 

& partnership 

efforts (increase)

• Number of visits 

to the youth.

gov website 

(increase)

 Activities

• Promote 

innovative 

collaboration at 

the federal, state, 

& local levels

• Identify & 

disseminate 

information 

about designing, 

selecting, 

implementing, 

& evaluating 

evidence-based 

strategies

• Engage 

youth & other 

stakeholders

• Implement 

initiatives

• Produce 

& expand 

the federal 

interagency 

website on youth

 Resources

• Interagency 

Working Group 

on Youth 

Programs

• Other federal 

departments, 

agencies, & 

collaborations

• Youth-serving 

organizations & 

partnerships at 

all levels

• Youth & families 

• Other resources

◦ Funding 

& in-kind 

resources 

to support 

activities

◦ Executive 

Orders & 

Memoranda

Pathways for Youth 12
Pathways for Youth 13

STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pathways for Youth outlines strategic goals that the Working Group will 

pursue, in the work of individual agencies and in collaboration across 

departments, to improve outcomes for youth. These three overarching and 

interrelated strategic goals are each supported by a number of objectives 

and strategies. The strategic goals echo the Working Group’s primary 

functions, as well as the input generated by the stakeholders at the federal, 

state, and local levels to support this effort. 

Goal 1: Collaboration and Coordination

Promote coordinated strategies to improve youth 

outcomes. Youth-serving programs and 

initiatives at the federal, state, local, and 

tribal levels work to support youth 

in a number of ways. The range of 

support involves prevention and 

intervention strategies around 

health, mental health, substance 

abuse, and wellness; safe and 

stable housing; educational and 

training opportunities; preparation 

for employment; and meaningful 

connections to family, peers, and their 

communities. 

Goal 2: Evidence-based and Innovative 

Strategies

Disseminate and encourage the use of evidence-based 

and innovative strategies at federal, state, local, and tribal 

levels. Evidence-based programs are those that have been studied 

with rigorous evaluation designs and shown positive effects on 

intended outcomes, though the level of evaluation and duration 

of effects required may vary across definitions of evidence-based 

practice. In areas without a strong evidence base, innovation can be 

informed by empirical evidence and theory.

Goal 3: Youth Engagement and Partnerships

Promote youth engagement and partnerships to strengthen programs 

and benefit youth and their families along a continuum — from 

simple information sharing, to targeted engagement opportunities, 

to decision-making — for the benefit of youth, adults, and programs. 

Understanding the different types of youth engagement strategies, 

and determining which strategies are successful for specific youth 

in specific contexts is the first step towards successful youth-adult 

partnerships.

Each of these goals, along with related objectives and strategies, will be 

described in turn in the following section. 
Pathways for Youth 14

Interrelated Efforts

Successful achievement of these goals will involve understanding the goals 

and objectives as interrelated concepts. Federal agencies can promote 

evidence-based strategies (Goal 2) in collaboration (Goal 1). Similarly, 

ideas for engaging and partnering with youth (Goal 3) can be shared 

across agencies and departments (Goal 1) and efforts in this area do not 

have to be pursued by agencies individually. In addition, the evidence base 

(Goal 2) on youth engagement and partnership is developing, and should 

be drawn upon when developing strategies to engage youth (Goal 3).

Working Group Cross-Cutting Initiatives

In developing this plan, the Working Group stressed that our strategic goals 

are the foundational piece for further action, which will be accompanied 

by concrete, realistic, actionable, and measurable activities. Within this 

document the Working Group has highlighted four cross-cutting initiatives 

that will advance the strategic goals and objectives. These initiatives are 

elements of a larger program of work pursued by the Working Group to 

promote collaboration, evidence and innovation, and youth engagement 

and partnership. These activities will be undertaken together within existing 

authorities and areas of administrative flexibility for departments and 

agencies to do their work. The Working Group will explore federal barriers 

and solutions for improving coordination and leveraging better outcomes 

for youth.

Examples of Promising Work

Also within this section, the Working Group will highlight examples of work 

related to these goals and objectives that we have undertaken together as 

a Working Group, or within our agencies. These examples can inform future 

efforts, providing direction for implementation.
Pathways for Youth 15

Goal 1: Collaboration and Coordination:

Promote coordinated strategies to improve 

youth outcomes.

Youth-serving programs and initiatives at the 

federal, state, local, and tribal levels work to 

support youth in a number of ways. The range 

of support involves prevention and intervention 

strategies around health, mental health, substance 

abuse, and wellness; safe and stable housing; 

educational and training opportunities; preparation 

for employment; and meaningful connections 

to family, peers, and their communities. These 

issues are interrelated, and evidence-based 

programs are needed that address and integrate 

multiple areas at once. For example, youth at risk 

for disconnection are more likely to complete 

high school or receive a Certificate of General 

Educational Development (GED) if they have 

transportation to classes, keep a job if they 

address mental health and substance abuse 

concerns, and transition out of a homeless shelter 

if they have connections to family or supportive 

adults and skills and resources to secure a 

permanent home and employment. In addition to 

addressing multiple areas, these programs need 

to address contextual issues, such as culture and 

stages of development that would affect program 

delivery and possible impacts. 

The most vulnerable youth face multiple 

challenges that do not fit into traditional 

categorical ("siloed”) programs. A youth with 

disabilities may also need assistance in securing 

health services and employment. A youth at risk of 

school dropout may need additional educational 

support, as well as help with a substance abuse 

problem or parenting responsibilities. Rural youth 

may need assistance in building work skills 

through service learning opportunities, as well 

as transportation support. An incarcerated youth 

may need foster family support and employment 

training as they re-enter their community upon 

release. Because of their age and complexities 

of the challenges they present, vulnerable 

youth require multiple systems to interact and 

collaborate to effectively address their needs. Risk 

and protective factors are important in informing 

appropriate service decisions and as short-term 

outcomes for targeting by youth-serving programs.

An optimal network of support is complex and 

crosses a wide array of issue areas that may 

be contributing to youth outcomes through 

interconnected and cross-system means. 

The necessary array of programs may be 

disconnected, with each program having unique 

definitions, eligibility requirements, data collection 

efforts, reporting requirements, funding streams 

and funding restrictions, required partnerships 

(including with youth), technical assistance 

supports, service approaches, and performance 

measures. Inconsistencies across programs can 

be the consequence of federal or state legislative 

requirements, regulations, or administrative 

decisions and interpretations. The inconsistencies 

may also be due to interpretations of policy, 

prioritization based on identified needs or 

available funding, or lack of research knowledge 

on how to appropriately blend evidence-based 

approaches.

In Goal 1, the Working Group seeks to encourage 

improved coordination and collaboration among 

these supports for youth — within and among the 

federal, state, local, and tribal levels, between and 

within public and private entities, and across youth 

topic areas and domains.

Objective 1: Align and simplify federal guidance 

for youth programs.

Objective 2: Coordinate youth programming and 

funding support at the federal, state, local, and 

tribal levels.

Objective 3: Coordinate technical assistance 

efforts to leverage resources.

Goal 1 Objectives
Pathways for Youth 16

Objective 1: Align and simplify federal guidance for youth programs.

Youth organizations and partnerships seeking to improve youth outcomes often seek to address more 

than one issue at a time. However, no one federal agency provides comprehensive funding to address 

every youth issue, and federal agencies have encouraged federal funding applicants to integrate 

activities to best serve youth.

Frequently, though, federal application and administrative requirements 

differ across and even within departments. Federal grantees 

navigate differing definitions of key terms, eligibility requirements, 

implementation requirements, reporting requirements, and goals for 

youth. This maze places a burden on grantees, requiring an extra 

investment of time and resources.

The Working Group will identify which requirements can be aligned 

across federal agencies, acknowledging that legislative requirements 

will sometimes prevent meaningful alignment. This effort will be done 

in collaboration with state and local groups; the Working Group will 

offer guidance to non-federal stakeholders to help identify and prioritize 

areas of needed alignment across program areas.

Below are some of the activities that the Working Group will pursue to align and 

simplify federal requirements for youth programs.

• Align activities with other federal plans and strategies that have key intersections 

on related youth issues. (Examples include: Interagency Forum on Disconnected 

Youth, Healthy People 2020, Opening Doors, National Forum on Youth Violence 

Prevention, and the National Prevention Strategy)

• Identify opportunities to develop shared definitions across programs.

• Identify opportunities for alignment of program eligibility.

• Identify areas for common grant language, requirements, and evidence-based approaches (see 

Example: Positive Youth Development Definition).

• Identify opportunities to develop shared metrics, assessment strategies, and shared accountability 

for outcomes. 

• Streamline administrative and other reporting requirements for grantees.

• Use youth.gov to engage stakeholders to help identify opportunities for alignment. 

"Some level of fragmentation 

is inevitable. Even so, there are 

sensible steps policymakers can 

take to make it easier for people on 

the ground to align the myriad funding 

streams, programs, and regulations 

into a comprehensive solution for 

children and youth."

-- Federal Register Comment

The Working Group reviewed definitions of positive youth development included in federal grant 

announcements. Supported by a review of the literature, the Working Group drafted a common definition 

of positive youth development and encouraged its inclusion in a number of grant announcements. Positive 

youth development was defined by the Working Group as an intentional, pro-social approach that engages 

youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is 

productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances youths' strengths; and promotes positive 

outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the 

support needed to build on their leadership strengths. Further information about the definition and how to 

integrate positive youth development into programs can be found at http://youth.gov/pyd.

Example: Positive Youth Development Definition
Pathways for Youth 17

Objective 2: Coordinate youth programming and funding support at the 

federal, state, local, and tribal levels.

Not all youth programming is fragmented. We have significant examples of 

successful and innovative efforts that align evidence-based programming for 

youth and their families – place-based efforts, programs co-funded by multiple 

departments, wraparound services, comprehensive community initiatives, and 

other collaborations supported by funders have advanced our knowledge of 

how we can work together to improve outcomes. Knowledge about how 

best to structure and support these collaborations is growing. 

The Working Group is committed to promoting meaningful 

collaboration at and among the federal, state, local, and tribal 

levels. The strategies the Working Group will employ to pursue 

this objective are listed below.

• Identify opportunities for federal funding programs to better 

complement each other without augmenting each other (see 

Example: Elements of Successful Collaborations), as well 

as opportunities for public-private partnerships to support 

evidence-based youth programs.

• Identify opportunities to structure funding announcements to enable 

sufficient time for collaborations to develop and mature, including a 

planning, pre-implementation period, and a multi-year funding period.

• Leverage and coordinate agency investments (e.g., in technical assistance, 

research, or programming). (See Example: Collaboration to Address Youth 

Substance Abuse)

• Incentivize state- and local-level collaboration and the implementation 

of comprehensive, cross-system, and place-based approaches through 

funding announcements and other strategies.

• Encourage the development of comprehensive community strategic plans and 

other documents supporting collaboration to improve youth outcomes across 

various domains.

• Facilitate cross-system data sharing, while protecting privacy, to help partners 

answer critical questions and to develop responsive solutions.

• Use youth.gov to disseminate evidence-based and promising practices and lessons learned from 

collaborative efforts to encourage broader implementation of these strategies.

"Share funding to support programs 

in agencies in which significant youth 

service programs already exist, or in which 

they can be easily expanded to engage 

more youth."

-- Federal Register Comment

Identifying and addressing alcohol and drug use among students is one of the biggest challenges of the 

U.S. Department of Labor's YouthBuild employment and training program. The U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collaborated 

with the YouthBuild program on a pilot project to train staff on how to identify youth who are at risk for 

substance abuse problems and provide referrals to those youth who need further assessment or treatment. 

The "SBIRT" (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) tool, originally designed for healthrelated settings, was adapted for use with the young adults ages 16-24 being served within the YouthBuild 

program. These collaborative strategies are low cost, given SAMHSA's training and intervention tools and 

YouthBuild’s system for delivery, and can extend the reach of each agency's investments. This partnership 

grew out of the Working Group and information is disseminated through youth.gov. Learn more at 

http://youth.gov/SBIRT-YouthBuild.

Example: Collaboration to Address Youth Substance Abuse
Pathways for Youth 18

Objective 3: Coordinate technical assistance efforts to leverage resources.

Federal departments and agencies seek to strengthen their grantees’ efforts by 

providing targeted technical assistance. Technical assistance providers have 

developed a number of mechanisms to inform, assist, and train grantees – 

through webinars and electronic correspondence, through communication 

with experts or peers, and other strategies. Technical assistance can 

help a grantee develop an action plan in partnership with other groups, 

engage youth and families, and understand and implement federal 

requirements. Technical assistance providers often support grantees in 

implementing evidence-based strategies, as well as determining how best 

to evaluate their efforts and impact on youth outcomes. 

The federal department that funds an effort determines whether technical 

assistance providers offer support on cross-cutting youth topics, or provide support 

to youth-serving organizations and partnerships beyond the agency’s grantees. The Working Group is 

committed to supporting federal grantees with the technical assistance and support they need to be 

successful. By creating more training and technical assistance opportunities, a community’s ability to 

improve outcomes for youth may be enhanced and federal resources used more efficiently.

Through this support, the Working Group will:

• Identify opportunities to provide technical assistance to grantees across programs to support 

quality and sustainability and improve youth outcomes (see Example: Coordinating Technical 

Assistance to Prevent Youth Violence).

• Translate cross-system research and evaluation information for programs to encourage adoption of 

comprehensive solutions that address interconnected issues impacting youth. 

• Encourage the inclusion of youth engagement strategies to be incorporated into any technical 

assistance effort to support programs for youth.

• Use grantee conferences, agency-sponsored webinars, guidance, grantee correspondence, and 

other strategies, including youth.gov, to provide technical assistance on cross-cutting youth topics.

• Identify opportunities to coordinate the delivery of technical assistance to a common grantee or 

community, and enable technical assistance providers to support non-grantees as appropriate.

• Examine the effectiveness of technical assistance, particularly with regard to implementing 

evidence-based programs.

" Federal agencies can 

provide technical support, 

by hosting webinars, trainings, 

and other forums to allow easy 

access to information sharing 

and networking."

-- Federal Register Comment

The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention (Forum) is a White House initiative that was established 

to build a national conversation concerning youth and gang violence that would increase awareness, drive 

action, and build local capacity to more effectively address youth violence through comprehensive planning. 

To do this, the Forum models a new kind of federal and local collaboration, encouraging its members to 

change the way they do business by sharing common challenges and promising strategies, and through 

coordinated action.

Participating federal agencies include the Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, 

Housing and Urban Development, Labor and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Participating 

cities include Baltimore, Boston, Camden, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Long Beach, Louisville, Memphis, 

Minneapolis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Salinas, San Jose, and Seattle.

Other participants include faith- and community-based organizations, youth and family groups, as well 

as business and philanthropic leaders. The Forum leveraged resources and fostered coordination by 

developing their website as a microsite of youth.gov. Learn more at http://www.youth.gov/NationalForum.

Example: Coordinating Technical Assistance to Prevent Youth Violence 
Pathways for Youth 19

Goal 2: Evidence-based and Innovative 

Strategies:

Promote the use of evidence-based and 

innovative strategies at the federal, state, local, 

and tribal levels.

Across the country, youth-serving programs 

and initiatives are working to improve youth 

outcomes by promoting positive strategies such 

as helping youth finish their education, build skills 

and competencies, secure stable housing, find 

employment, and develop mentoring relationships 

with competent adults. Community partners are 

implementing evidence-based and innovative 

strategies that are overcoming the effects of 

traumatic experiences and preventing or reducing 

youth engagement in risky behaviors such as 

substance use, early sexual activity, and acts of 

violence and delinquency.

In a context of shrinking resources and complex 

challenges in the youth being served, it is 

important to support staff in choosing approaches 

that are grounded in evidence. Fortunately, we 

know more now about evidence-based programs 

for youth than we did even 25 years ago.

Evidence-based programs are those that have 

been studied with rigorous evaluation designs 

and shown positive effects on intended outcomes, 

though the level of evaluation and duration of 

effects may vary across definitions of evidencebased practice. Both the public and private 

sectors have produced an array of directories, 

technical assistance centers, guidebooks, and 

websites in recent years to help youth-serving 

groups select and implement evidence-based 

programs for youth. Increasingly, funders 

are requesting or requiring that applicants 

demonstrate that they are using evidence-based 

strategies to serve youth and show that their 

efforts have contributed to positive outcomes.

Many challenges persist, however. The evidence 

is uneven across systems. The depth and breadth 

of knowledge about what works for youth in 

different settings (for example, in high schools or 

in juvenile justice facilities) or with different issues 

(for example, youth who need to secure stable 

employment, or youth who abuse substances) 

differs widely. We often have limited information 

on what works with subpopulations of youth, 

particularly across age groups, gender, culture, 

race, disability status, and sexual orientation. The 

criteria identified for calling a program “evidencebased” can vary across departments and 

directories. The standards for research are slowly 

growing in the public sector in order to establish 

credibility and parameters for newly developed 

programs and to provide a path for them to 

become “evidence-based.” 

Selection of an evidence-based program model 

that is poorly matched to a community, poor 

implementation of the evidence-based model, 

unexpected costs, and inadequate staff training 

and organization support can all undermine the 

effort to implement evidence-based programs, and 

lead to increased skepticism of and resistance to 

evidence-based practices.

In Goal 2, the Working Group seeks to encourage 

the continued development of evidence-based 

strategies for youth programs, dissemination of 

knowledge about selection, implementation, and 

evaluation of evidence-based strategies, and 

support for innovation to address current gaps in 

the knowledge base, as well as new and emerging 

challenges.

Objective 1: Encourage the adoption of 

evidence-based strategies, and support their 

implementation.

Objective 2: Support innovation and deepen the 

evidence base to fill gaps in knowledge.

Goal 2 Objectives
Pathways for Youth 20

Objective 1: Encourage the adoption of evidence-based strategies, and support their 

implementation.

While there is limited information available on strategies that work on subpopulations of youth, our 

knowledge base has expanded so we now know more about the circumstances and populations for 

which certain strategies may be effective. Significant advancements have been made in recent years 

in understanding evidence-based strategies to improve education and prevent 

violence, juvenile delinquency, and teen pregnancy, for example. Policies and 

programs are being evaluated in multiple contexts to better understand 

the conditions for their success. Program developers increasingly 

understand that in addition to developing the elements of a successful 

program, they need to develop the tools for implementation of that 

program. The knowledge base about “nuggets” and “essential 

elements” of evidence-based programs is growing. And decision 

makers are working to implement a variety of evidence-based 

strategies, including policies such as graduated driver licensing, 

as well as formal program models that have been shown to have 

positive impacts on youth outcomes.

Federal departments support the development of the evidence base 

across the continuum — from funding basic research; to supporting 

research to evaluate a program model’s effectiveness; to requiring that 

federal grantees choose an evidence-based program to implement as 

a condition of funding; to developing evidence-based program directories 

to support the selection of appropriate interventions; to funding technical 

assistance providers to help grantees select and implement programs, and evaluate 

them using randomized controlled experiments and other strong study designs.

The Working Group is committed to supporting the adoption and implementation 

of evidence-based strategies to help improve youth outcomes at the state and 

local levels, and disseminating information to stakeholders that helps them make 

sense of various federal efforts. To minimize confusion and facilitate adoption 

of these strategies, the Working Group also seeks to promote coordinated 

dissemination of these efforts to the public. The Working Group is dedicated to 

supporting coordinated federal effort in this arena by facilitating cross-system 

discussions about standards of evidence and implementation, criteria for 

successful replication, and emerging issues. 

"The federal government 

has an extremely important 

leadership role to play in ensuring 

that youth benefit from programs that 

are effective, efficient, and coordinated. 

The federal government can promote 

good policies and practices by its funding 

decisions, the incentives it provides, the 

creativity it offers to communities and 

states, the protections it offers youth, 

the promising approaches it highlights, 

and the assistance it gives states and 

communities in sharing promising 

approaches."

-- Federal Register Comment
Pathways for Youth 21

Outlined below are some of the activities the Working Group will use to encourage the adoption of 

evidence-based strategies and support their implementation.

• Identify models of federal funding that offer sufficient funding and time to facilitate the complete and 

successful implementation of evidence-based strategies.

• Promote the adoption of evidence-based strategies through funding announcements, technical 

assistance efforts, and other communication with the public, including youth.gov (see Example: 

youth.gov section on Evidence and Innovation)

• Encourage the development of logic models and theories of change in funding announcements, 

and shift program reporting from simply reporting on outputs to reporting on valid and reliable 

immediate and longer-term outcome measures for youth and families.

• Engage youth-serving organizations and partnerships in discussions about barriers to adoption and 

implementation of evidence-based approaches with fidelity, and develop strategies to overcome 

these barriers.

• Improve service provider access to information regarding available evidence-based resources to 

facilitate the selection of program models.

• Improve competencies of youth-serving professionals in identifying and appraising evidence for 

decision-making that considers selection, implementation, and adaptation of evidence-based 

practices in the service context. 

• Provide service providers with access to information from implementation science to guide 

replication, including working across agencies to develop implementation standards. 

• Assemble and disseminate current information about evidence-based strategies through youth.gov.

• Identify opportunities to provide technical assistance to help organizations adapt and adopt 

evidence-based programs and implement them with adequate fidelity.

• Coordinate federal efforts around evidence-based practices, including maximizing and leveraging 

dissemination through conferences, websites, and webinars.

• Convene federal and nonfederal stakeholders to explore the alignment of standards of evidence and 

criteria for implementation readiness and fidelity.

The Working Group developed a section on youth.gov focused on Evidence and Innovation. The section 

offers the latest information on federal work related to evidence-based strategies and provide guidance on 

selecting programs and program implementation. The site includes real-world examples from the field and 

opportunities to listen to expert opinions. Learn more at http://www.youth.gov/Evidence.

Example: youth.gov Section on Evidence and Innovation 
Pathways for Youth 22

Objective 2: Support innovation and deepen the evidence base to fill gaps in knowledge.

Despite these advancements in our knowledge of successful youth programs, there are still significant 

gaps in the evidence. Finding the right prevention, intervention, or combination thereof, for specific 

populations of youth, in specific contexts, at various points across their developmental trajectory, is 

still a challenge for many youth-serving organizations and partnerships.

A program that works for a primarily Latino population in an urban setting in the northeast may have 

different impacts for a group of tribal youth in the rural southwest. A program for 

high school youth may be inappropriate if implemented with middle school 

youth. A program may not have the same impact if modules are eliminated 

to meet a program’s time restrictions. Federal agencies understand 

the challenges of implementing evidence-based programs in various 

contexts, and need to work closely with youth-serving organizations 

and partnerships to determine whether and how best to adapt 

evidence-based programs for different populations and settings, and 

how to evaluate the impact of these adaptations. 

The federal government has invested resources in recent years in 

innovative strategies — asking researchers and program developers 

to identify gaps and explore the effectiveness of innovative strategies 

to address these gaps, rather than requiring the selection of a model 

from a list of previously evaluated programs. Basic research in such 

areas as brain development, addiction, learning and cognition, group 

formation and peer ties, family disorganization, nutrition and health, along 

with a host of other issues, can be the knowledge base from which innovation 

arises, programs are developed, and strategies are tested. These innovative 

efforts are intentional processes, guided by evidence and supported by 

evaluations to examine their impact.

The Working Group is committed to supporting innovation – including 

adaptation of existing program models, development of new program models, 

and responsiveness to emerging issues. The Working Group seeks to 

collaborate with program developers, researchers, youth-serving organizations 

and partnerships, federal departments and agencies, and other stakeholders, 

to deepen the evidence base and expand what we know about how to 

improve youth outcomes. 

"Initiate the development of 

a national database containing 

evidence-based research on crosssystems collaboration and evaluation. 

This can serve as a technical assistance 

tool for state, public school districts, and 

other youth serving entities that require 

direction in creating partnerships in order 

to better meet the needs of children and 

youth."

-- Federal Register Comment
Pathways for Youth 23

Outlined below are some of the activities the Working Group will use to support innovation and deepen 

the knowledge base to fill gaps in knowledge.

• Provide guidance to youth-serving organizations and partnerships about which evidence-based 

programs are appropriate and effective for specific populations.

• Identify opportunities to provide technical assistance to help organizations innovate and adapt 

evidence-based programs appropriately (see Example: Safe and Supportive Schools Technical 

Assistance Center), and evaluate the impact of the program and the adaptation.

• Develop the knowledge base on the implementation of evidence-based strategies.

• Disseminate information about innovative and promising strategies through resources like youth.gov. 

• Deepen the evidence base on the impact of collaboration and cross-systems approaches to 

improve youth outcomes, as well as youth engagement strategies and their impact. 

• Explore efforts to reduce the time lag between the development of an effective program model, to its 

implementation and further testing among different populations, to its widespread use. 

• Identify opportunities to leverage federal funding to support rigorous evaluation of existing and 

innovative program models to improve the evidence-base where gaps exist.

The Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center is funded by a contract from the U.S. 

Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Healthy 

Students. The Center is operated by the American Institutes for Research. Its mission is to improve the 

conditions for learning in schools so that all students have the opportunity to realize academic success 

in safe and supportive school environments. The Center also provides support on the development 

and management of school climate surveys and the use of data in the selection and implementation 

of appropriate strategies, interventions, and/or programs identified by data. Through dissemination of 

the latest research findings, products, measurement tools, and resources, the Center helps to advance 

knowledge about evidence-based practice, measurement systems and data use to improve conditions for 

learning. The Center works with a team of specialists and/or experts in the field to serve state grantees, 

as well as other state administrators, district and school administrators, teachers, school support staff, 

families/communities, and students. The Center's goal is to assist in creating safe and respectful school 

environments and to provide information and resources to increase academic success for all students. 

For more information on the Safe and Supportive Schools TA Center, visit 

https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/. Information about the Center, including notification of upcoming 

webinars, is available on http://www.youth.gov.

Example: Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center 
Pathways for Youth 24

Goal 3: Youth Engagement and 

Partnerships:

Promote youth engagement and partnerships 

to strengthen programs and benefit youth.

At the federal, state, local, and tribal levels, 

youth-serving organizations and partnerships are 

working to engage youth as partners in decisionmaking. Across the country, youth are partnering 

with adults to strengthen programs, as well as to 

build their own skills and abilities. Youth are not 

just speaking at conferences, they are helping to 

plan them; they are not just being served by staff, 

they are helping to hire them; they are not just 

statistics in a dataset, they are helping agencies 

improve data collection and interpret results. 

Youth are helping organizations develop messages 

that resonate with their peers about health, public 

health, and human services issues. And with the 

rise of social media, youth are now active agents 

in disseminating information and messages to the 

broader public.

Yet our knowledge about what makes a successful 

youth-adult partnership, and what the benefits to 

youth, adults, and programs are, is still 

developing. Additionally, our ability to measure the 

quality and extent of youth engagement in various 

program settings is limited. Understanding the 

different types of youth engagement strategies, 

and determining which strategies are successful 

for specific youth in specific contexts, is still a 

work in progress. The Working Group, through its 

ongoing collaborative efforts and youth.gov, 

shares information about various youth 

engagement strategies to better understand 

options and opportunities.

In Goal 3, the Working Group promotes strategies 

that engage youth and their families along a 

continuum — from simple information sharing, to 

targeted engagement opportunities, to decisionmaking — for the benefit of youth, adults, and 

programs. And as described in Goal 2, the 

Working Group is dedicated to building the 

evidence base on youth engagement strategies 

by supporting rigorous evaluation of youth 

engagement interventions.

Objective 1: Promote youth-adult partnerships to 

support sustained youth engagement efforts and 

strengthen programs.

Objective 2: Provide and encourage federal, state, 

local and tribal provision of multiple opportunities 

for youth to develop, master, and apply critical 

skills, including life skills and leadership skills.

Goal 3 Objectives
Pathways for Youth 25

Objective 1: Promote youth-adult partnerships to support sustained youth engagement efforts 

and strengthen programs.

No matter what you call these efforts — positive youth development, youth 

development, youth participation, youth engagement, youth-adult partnerships 

— emerging literature suggests benefits for both programs and youth.4

Youth engagement can increase youth confidence and competence, 

improve the chances of academic success, protect against aggressive 

and violent behaviors, and promote feelings of safety, belonging, 

efficacy, and empowerment. Organizations can benefit from greater 

organizational sustainability and effectiveness, including a staff 

with increased commitment to an organization’s mission and youth 

needs. Public policy makers can make better public investments 

and create policies and priorities that are more relevant to the lives 

of young people.

To be successful, however, youth engagement strategies require 

commitment from both adults and youth. Youth and adults may need 

additional training on how to work together effectively. Designing 

opportunities to engage youth and adults together may require setting 

different meeting times, venues, formats, and agenda items. Organizations 

may have to include incentives to engage community partners and/or youth 

and sustain their involvement.

The Working Group is dedicated to promoting youth-adult 

partnerships at all levels — federal, state, local, and tribal — through 

the following strategies.

• Use youth.gov, social media, and other strategies to increase 

public awareness about youth perspectives, issues that 

resonate for youth, and the value of youth contributions.

• Assemble and disseminate information about options for 

youth engagement strategies. 

• Identify opportunities to provide technical assistance to both 

youth and adults to support sustained youth engagement 

efforts.

• Encourage opportunities to involve youth from a variety of 

backgrounds and with differing perspectives, including those 

youth who are especially vulnerable and least likely to be 

engaged in decision-making processes that affect their lives and 

communities.

• Assist states and localities in identifying models that will promote 

multiple meaningful and successful paths for youth civic engagement and 

leadership.

4

 Zeldin, S., Petrokubi, J. & Camino, L. (2008). Youth-adult partnerships in public action: Principles, organizational culture, and outcomes.

Takoma Park, MD: Forum for Youth Investment.

Rose-Krasnor, L. (2009). Future directions in youth engagement and social development. Social Development, 18, 497-509.

Zeldin, S. (2004). Youth as agents of adult and community development: Mapping the processes and outcomes of youth engaged in 

organizational governance. Applied Developmental Science, 8, 75-90.

Zeldin, S., McDaniel, A. K., Topitzes, D., & Calvert, M. (2000). Youth in decision-making: A study of the impacts of youth on adults and 

organizations. Chevy Chase, MD: National 4-H Council.

"Youth are uniquely qualified to 

address many challenges if they 

have support and mentoring from 

adults who value youth input and 

perspectives on the root causes of 

the challenge areas for the program 

outcomes, as well as ideas for practical 

solutions. Please adopt the viewpoint 

that youth have skills and talents to be 

developed, rather than weaknesses 

and deficits to be remediated."

-- Web Comment
Pathways for Youth 26

Objective 2: Provide and encourage federal, state, local, and tribal provision of multiple opportunities 

for youth to develop, master, and apply critical skills, including life and leadership skills.

Youth-serving programs must be intentional about reaching out to youth — all youth — but the youth 

population is not monolithic. Engaging special populations of youth, youth at different ages or 

developmental stages, or youth from different regions or environments may require different strategies 

and incentives. The level of rigorous evaluation of youth engagement programs is still weak,5 and youth 

engagement activities may need to vary in terms of their content, frequency, format, and intensity 

to reach young people at the level at which they are prepared to engage, and may need 

to adjust and deepen as a youth’s skills are developed.

Youth may need extra supports to sustain their involvement — other youth 

being involved with them, transportation, activities held after school hours, 

skill development opportunities, or other incentives and motivators. 

Organizations should also recognize youth aging out of their programs as 

valuable resources for encouraging engagement amongst younger peers.

As articulated in its definition of positive youth development (see Goal 1), 

the Working Group recognizes that all youth have assets and should be 

given opportunities to participate and develop their skills to become active 

and contributing members of society. Youth can be involved as active agents 

in programs — becoming more than just the recipients of services. The 

Working Group is committed to promoting opportunities for youth to engage 

and develop their skills. Outlined below are some of the activities the Working 

Group will use to support efforts that provide multiple opportunities for youth.

• Explore and identify the use of funding applications and other incentives to encourage 

youth-serving organizations and partnerships to engage youth in grantee program design, hiring, 

implementation, evaluation, and other efforts.

• Support federal agencies that wish to engage youth in meetings, planning, grant reviews, or other 

activities (see Example: National Youth in Transition Database, Technical Assistance Conference)

• Engage youth in a dialogue through youth.gov and social media to understand youth perspectives.

• Support approaches that enable youth engagement to grow and expand, such as enabling youth to 

contribute at the local, state, regional, tribal, national, and international levels. 

• Encourage local and state governments and schools to involve youth in a variety of activities, 

including opportunities to learn and exhibit leadership skills. 

• Engage youth in skill and asset development opportunities, including exploring career and 

workforce options and providing occasions for goal setting.

5

 Morton, M. & Montgomery, P. (2011). Youth empowerment programs for improving self-efficacy and self-esteem of adolescents. Campbell 

Systematic Reviews. http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/lib/download/1402/

The Children’s Bureau, which is in the Administration for Children and Families within HHS, required state 

representatives to bring youth to this conference to discuss the first wave of data from the National Youth in 

Transition Database (which collects information on outcomes for youth transitioning out of foster care). In 

youth-only sessions, youth commented on the preliminary results and made suggestions for improvements 

to the data and the way they were communicated. Youth also participated in sessions with adults, such as 

plenary sessions and other workshops. Through this effort, states were made aware of youth who were 

both consumers of foster care services and leaders in their communities. Youth developed leadership 

and critical thinking skills. A collaboration profile on the National Youth in Transition Database Technical 

Assistance meeting is available on youth.gov at: http://youth.gov/nytd.

Example: National Youth in Transition Database, Technical Assistance Conference

"Youth can be engaged 

in these efforts when they 

have opportunities to develop 

their leadership skills through 

comprehensive training, which 

can include communication 

skills, respect for diversity, life 

skills, goal setting, learning about 

finances, team building, and 

having opportunities to write 

and speak to the public and to 

policymakers."

-- Web Comment
Pathways for Youth 27

WORKING GROUP CROSSCUTTING INITIATIVES

This plan presents an initial step in identifying 

strategies for federal collaboration and provides 

a basis for future actions related to positive 

outcomes for youth. As the Working Group 

pursues the goals and objectives outlined 

in this plan, it will be able to set targets for 

collaborative results and identify areas for 

strategic recommendations and initiatives to 

address common goals for youth. To begin 

addressing the goals, objectives, and strategies in 

this plan, the Working Group identified four areas 

of work. These four cross-cutting initiatives are 

described below. Given that the Working Group 

has no dedicated funding, the scope of work 

that the Working Group will be able to undertake 

will depend on the funds and other resources 

agencies are able to provide as leaders or 

partners in these efforts.

1. Develop shared language on cross-cutting 

youth topics for federal grant applications and 

other federal documents and publications. 

The Working Group will identify realistic and 

reasonable opportunities to develop shared 

language that can be incorporated into federal 

documents, including grant applications and 

technical assistance resources. Examples 

include common terminology (e.g., positive youth 

development, youth engagement strategies, 

evidence-based), options for performance 

indicators and metrics, opportunities for 

administrative flexibility or cost savings, and 

guidance on collaboration (e.g., suggested 

partners and planning coordination efforts).

2. Assess and disseminate models of 

collaboration that provide a pathway to 

opportunity for youth and yield positive results. 

The Working Group will identify realistic and 

reasonable opportunities to develop shared 

language that can be incorporated into federal 

documents, including grant applications 

and technical assistance resources. 

Examples include common 

terminology (e.g., positive 

youth development, 

youth engagement 

strategies, evidence-based), options for 

performance indicators and metrics, opportunities 

for administrative flexibility or cost savings, 

and guidance on collaboration (e.g., suggested 

partners and planning coordination efforts).

3. Centralize and disseminate information on 

promising and evidence-based strategies for 

youth, including promising youth engagement 

and partnership strategies. 

The Working Group will develop a central 

comprehensive federal resource for information 

on evidence-based practices and innovation that 

draws from multiple sources already in existence, 

to provide the public with better information about 

federal efforts, reduce duplication, and promote 

better collaboration among federal departments 

and agencies. As part of this effort, the Working 

Group will identify and disseminate promising 

and evidence-based youth engagement strategies 

to assist federal, state, local, and tribal groups 

in devising strategies to develop and maximize 

the strengths of youth, and to strengthen youth 

programs.

4. Promote data collection and long-term 

evaluation of policies and programs that 

impact youth. 

The Working Group will facilitate cross-system 

data collection and sharing, while protecting 

privacy, to help programs answer critical 

questions to develop responsive solutions and 

determine evidence-based practices for youth 

programs. The Working Group will assess criteria 

currently in use by federal departments and 

agencies, including data systems. The Working 

Group will also consider opportunities to examine 

best practices and disseminate those to the 

public.

27
Pathways for Youth 28

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

A: Executive Order 13459..................................................................................................................................29

B: Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 Committee Print of the House Committee on Appropriations 

 on H.R. 1105/Public Law 111-8, Division F Language.............................................................................32

C: Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Federal Participant List...............................................33

D: Input Summary Report Executive Summary.................................................................................................37

F: Pathways for Youth At-A-Glance Overview....................................................................................................38
Pathways for Youth 29

Supporting Document A:

Executive Order 13459: Improving the Coordination and Effectiveness of Youth Programs.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of 

America, and in recognition of the successful interagency collaboration resulting from the Helping 

America’s Youth initiative, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. 

It is the policy of the Federal Government to promote achievement of positive results for at-risk youth 

through: 

a. enhanced collaboration among government organizations at the Federal, State, and local level, 

including with faith-based and other community organizations, as well as among families, schools, 

and communities, in order to leverage existing resources and improve outcomes; 

b. identification and dissemination of promising strategies and practices that have been proven 

effective through rigorous evaluation; and 

c. online publication of essential information to assist interested citizens and decision-makers, 

particularly at the community level, to plan, implement, and participate in effective programs for 

at-risk youth. 

Sec. 2. Establishment of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs. 

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) shall establish within the Department of 

Health and Human Services for administrative purposes only, an Interagency Working Group on 

Youth Programs (Working Group), consistent with this order and reflecting the ongoing interagency 

collaboration under the Helping America’s Youth initiative. 

Sec. 3. Membership and Operation of the Working Group. 

a. The Working Group shall consist exclusively of the following members or their designees, who 

shall be full-time Federal officers or employees: 

i. the Secretary; 

ii. the Attorney General; 

iii. the Secretaries of Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Housing and Urban 

Development, and Education; 

iv. the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; 

v. the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and 

vi. other officers or full-time or permanent part-time employees of the United States, as 

determined by the Secretary, with the concurrence of the head of the department or agency 

concerned. 

b. The Secretary (or the Secretary's designee) shall serve as Chair, and the Attorney General (or the 

Attorney General's designee) shall serve as Vice Chair, for a period of 2 years from the date of 

this order. Subsequent Chairs and Vice Chairs shall be designated by the Secretary on a biennial 

basis.

c. In implementing this section, the Chair, and in the Chair's absence the Vice Chair, shall convene 

and preside at meetings of the Working Group, determine its agenda, direct its work, and establish 

and direct subgroups of the Working Group, as appropriate, to deal with particular subject 

matters, that shall consist exclusively of members of the Working Group or their designees. The 
Pathways for Youth 30

Chair, after consultation with the Vice Chair, shall designate an officer or employee of one of the 

member departments or agencies to serve as the Executive Secretary of the Working Group. 

The Executive Secretary shall head any staff assigned to the Working Group and any subgroups 

thereof, and such staff shall consist exclusively of full-time or permanent part-time Federal 

employees.

Sec. 4. Functions of the Working Group. 

Consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, the Working Group shall: 

a. identify and engage key government and private or nonprofit organizations that can play a 

role in improving the coordination and effectiveness of programs serving and engaging youth, 

such as faith-based and other community organizations, businesses, volunteers, and other key 

constituencies;

b. develop a new Federal website on youth, built upon the Community Guide to Helping America’s 

Youth, with the first phase of this website to be launched within 10 months of the date of this 

order, by: 

i. identifying and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of existing Federal websites focusing 

on youth-serving entities in order to improve access to the most useful content; 

ii. providing for training to youth-serving entities to enable effective use of the Federal website; 

iii. developing additional strategies and tools and resources accessible through the Federal 

website that will help promote effective community-based efforts to reduce the factors that put 

youth at-risk and the provision of high-quality services to at-risk youth across the country; and 

iv. developing strategies to ensure that the Federal website is routinely updated, improved, and 

publicized;

c. encourage all youth-serving Federal and State agencies, communities, grantees, and 

organizations to adopt high standards for assessing program results, including through the use of 

rigorous impact evaluations, as appropriate, so that the most effective practices can be identified 

and replicated, and ineffective or duplicative programs can be eliminated or reformed; 

d. ...

i. identify and promote initiatives and activities that merit strong interagency collaboration 

because of their potential to offer cost-effective solutions to achieve better results for at-risk 

youth, including volunteer service in concert with the USA Freedom Corps and mentoring in 

concert with the Federal Mentoring Council; and, 

ii. encourage rigorous evaluations, as appropriate, of such initiatives and activities to ascertain 

their effectiveness in improving academic, employment, social, and other individual outcomes, 

and make these findings publicly available, and

e. annually report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, on its 

work and on the implementation of any recommendations arising from its work, with the first such 

report to be submitted no later than 6 months after the date of this order. 

Sec. 5. Administration of the Working Group.

a. The Secretary shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide administrative support and funding for 

the Working Group. 

With the consent of the Secretary, other member departments or agencies may provide 

administrative support to the Working Group, to the extent permitted by law and consistent with 

their statutory authority. 
Pathways for Youth 31

b. The heads of executive departments and agencies shall provide, as appropriate, such assistance 

and information as the Secretary may request to implement this order. 

c. The website referred to in section 4(b) of this order shall be funded by contributions from 

executive departments and agencies to the extent permitted by law and consistent with their 

statutory authority. 

Sec. 6. General Provisions.

a. Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: 

i. authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or 

ii. functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, 

administrative, or legislative proposals.

b. This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of 

appropriations.

c. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 

enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, 

or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

George W. Bush 

The White House 

February 7, 2008. 
Pathways for Youth 32

Supporting Document B:

Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 Committee Print of the House Committee on Appropriations 

on H.R. 1105/Public Law 111-8, Division F Language

The bill includes $1,000,000 for the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, chaired by HHS. 

These funds shall be used to solicit input from young people, State children’s cabinet directors, and 

non-profit organizations on youth programs and policies; develop an overarching strategic plan for 

Federal youth policy; and prepare recommendations to improve the coordination, effectiveness, and 

efficiency of programs affecting youth.
Pathways for Youth 33

Supporting Document C:

Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Federal Participant List 

Agency Title Name

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (Chair)

Division of Children and Youth Policy, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation

Cheri Hoffman

U.S. Department of Justice (Vice-Chair) Coordinating Council for Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention

Jeff Slowikowski

U.S. Department of Agriculture Institute of Youth, Family, and 

Community, National Institute of Food 

and Agriculture

Lisa Lauxman

Institute of Youth, Family, and 

Community, National Institute of Food 

and Agriculture

Toija Riggins

Institute of Youth, Family, and 

Community, National Institute of Food 

and Agriculture

Bonita Williams

U.S. Department of Commerce Housing and Household Economic 

Statistics Division, Census Bureau

TBD

U.S. Department of Defense Youth Outreach Programs, Office of 

the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Reserve Affairs

Ernie Gonzales*

Office of Deputy Under Secretary 

of Defense, Military Community and 

Family Policy, Office of Children and 

Youth

TBD

U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult 

Education

TBD

Office of Communications and 

Outreach

Samuel Ryan

Office of Safe and Healthy Students, 

Office of Elementary and Secondary 

Education

Sharon Burton

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Office of 

Special Education Programs

Sarah Allen

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services 

Children’s Bureau, Administration for 

Children and Families

Catherine Heath 

Children’s Bureau, Administration for 

Children and Families

Liliana Hernandez

Commissioner’s Office, Administration 

on Children, Youth and Families, 

Administration for Children and 

Families

Jenny Wood

Division of Adolescent and School 

Health, National Center for Chronic 

Disease Prevention and Health 

Promotion, Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention

Pete Hunt

Division of Children and Youth Policy, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation

Sarah Oberlander
Pathways for Youth 34

Agency Title Name

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (continued)

Division of Children and Youth Policy, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation

Michelle Boyd

Division of Children and Youth Policy, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation

Lisa Trivits

Division of Reproductive Health, 

National Center for Chronic Disease 

Prevention and Health Promotion, 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention

Anna Brittain

Division of Violence Prevention, 

National Center for Injury Prevention 

and Control, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention

Alana Vivolo-Kantor

Family and Youth Services Bureau, 

Administration for Children and 

Families

Sarah Axelson

Family and Youth Services Bureau, 

Administration for Children and 

Families

Telisa Burt

Family and Youth Services Bureau, 

Administration for Children and 

Families

Jewellynne Tinsley

Family and Youth Services Bureau, 

Administration for Children and 

Families

Jenny Weiser

Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 

Health Resources and Services 

Administration 

Trina Anglin

National Institute on Drug Abuse, 

National Institutes of Health

Jacqueline Lloyd

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention

Rebecca Guerin

Office of Adolescent Health, Office of 

the Assistant Secretary for Health

Evelyn Kappeler

Office of Adolescent Health, Office of 

the Assistant Secretary for Health

Jamie Kim

Office of Adolescent Health, Office of 

the Assistant Secretary for Health

Emily Novick

Office of Planning, Research, and 

Evaluation, Administration for Children 

and Families

Caryn Blitz

Office of Planning, Research, and 

Evaluation, Administration for Children 

and Families

Seth Chamberlain

Office of Planning, Research, and 

Evaluation, Administration for Children 

and Families

Tyler Hatch

Office of Planning, Research, and 

Evaluation, Administration for Children 

and Families

Aleta Meyer
Pathways for Youth 35

Agency Title Name

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (continued)

Office of Planning, Research, and 

Evaluation, Administration for Children 

and Families

Erica Zielewski 

Office on Women’s Health Jill Wasserman

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration

Karen Gentile

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration

Larke Huang

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration

Stacey Lee

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration

Emily Lichvar

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration

Rebecca Zornick

U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA Individual and Community 

Preparedness Division

Marcus Coleman

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development

Office of Public and Indian Housing Maria-Lana Queen*

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs TBD

Bureau of Land Management Scott Richardson

Office of Youth, Partnerships, and 

Service

TBD

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Maria Parisi Arnold

U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Amy Griffin

National Institute of Justice Marina Mendoza

National Institute of Justice Carrie Mulford

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention

Robin Delany-Shabazz*

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention

Brecht Donoghue

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention

Dennis Mondoro

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention

Cynthia Pappas

U.S. Department of Labor Division of Youth Services, Employment 

and Training Administration

Sara Hastings

Division of Youth Services, Employment 

and Training Administration

Jennifer Kemp

Division of Youth Services, Employment 

and Training Administration

Brian Lyght

Division of Youth Policy, Employment 

and Training Administration

Maisha Meminger

Office of Disability Employment Policy Day Al-Mohamed

U.S. Department of State Office of Global Youth Issues TBD

U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration

Kathleen Ballard

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Financial Education Meina Banh

Office of Financial Education Sunaena Lehil

Office of Financial Education Leslie Jones

Office of Financial Education Cassandra McConnell-Tatum
Pathways for Youth 36

Agency Title Name

Corporation for National and 

Community Service 

AmeriCorps State and National, 

AmeriCorps National Civilian 

Community Corps 

Katrina Mathis*

National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human 

Resources, Division of Research 

on Learning in Formal and Informal 

Settings

Julie Johnson 

Office of National Drug Control Policy Office of Demand Reduction, Addiction 

Recovery Branch

TBD 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Education TBD

Office of Public Engagement TBD

U.S. Small Business Association Office of Entrepreneurship Education TBD

Office of Entrepreneurship Education TBD

U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Research, Demonstrations, 

and Employment Supports, Office of 

Retirement and Disability Policy

Leola Brooks

Office of Retirement Disability and 

Employment Supports

Joyanne Cobb

* indicates a formal designee to the Working Group

This list is current as of 2016. The Working Group received valuable participation from other individuals 

formally serving with federal agencies during the drafting and review of the plan.
Pathways for Youth 37

Supporting Document D:

Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Public Input Summary Report Executive Summary

The first step of developing a plan involved gathering input from stakeholders, including youth, state 

Children’s Cabinet members, representatives from nonprofit organizations, policymakers, researchers, 

service providers, and families and educators on how to improve the coordination, effectiveness, and 

efficiency of youth programs and policies. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) supported the 

Working Group throughout this process, including the organization and facilitation of listening sessions.

The Working Group developed a conceptual framework to guide strategic-planning input. The 

framework focuses on three overarching outcomes for youth, all within the context of cultural and 

linguistic competency: health, safety, wellness, and safe and stable housing; school, family, and 

community engagement and connections; and education, training, employment, transitions, and 

readiness for careers and adulthood.

The Working Group used several mechanisms for gathering public input, including regional listening 

sessions, mini-listening sessions, youth sessions, a roundtable with state Children’s Cabinet 

representatives, a website (FindYouthInfo.gov, now youth.gov), a Federal Register notice, targeted 

webinars (for example, with the Society for Research on Child Development), and a federal strategic 

plan review. The Working Group also conducted extensive outreach to stakeholders through IWGYP 

agency and federally funded technical assistance center electronic newsletters and e-mail blasts, the 

newsletter and website, and targeted outreach.

The Working Group conducted the public listening sessions in ten regions of the country in a variety of 

locations, including federal buildings and community settings with connections to the IWGYP partners. 

Each session was a facilitated discussion, with focused questions that drilled down to ensure that 

the discussion was both inclusive and deep. Different sessions focused on specific topics, such as 

education, safety, enrichment, juvenile justice, employment, housing, physical and mental health and 

wellness, service learning, and positive youth development. However, the sessions were facilitated in a 

manner that enabled participants to provide input on any of these areas.

Several key themes and topics emerged during the input-gathering process. These themes reflect 

conditions that stakeholders feel are necessary to achieve positive youth outcomes, best approaches 

to intervention across service areas, approaches to collaboration, and the strategies that will best 

help improve outcomes and collaboration. The themes include relationships; high expectations; 

safe, supportive, and engaging environments; multiple chances and multiple pathways for successful 

development; promotion, prevention, and early intervention; flexible, strengths-based, and needsdriven strategies and approaches; consumer-driven and consumer-friendly strategies; and support for 

transition.

The substantial input gathered in the course of this outreach process provides the Working Group 

with a wealth of ideas and suggestions. Stakeholders identified multiple actionable opportunities 

for the Working Group to consider in areas such as communications; service delivery; funding; 

decision-making; collaboration and coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal agencies and 

departments; accountability systems and data; and engagement of youth in efforts to improve their 

lives.
Pathways for Youth 38

Supporting Document E:

Pathways for Youth At-A-Glance Overview 

INTRODUCTION

Background and overview of the Working Group and its charges; Description of the process for creating the 

plan, including the initial framework, public input process, and federal drafting effort

A VISION FOR YOUTH

The strengths-based vision for youth acknowledges the importance of pathways to opportunity for youth that 

include meaningful connections and safe, healthy, and stable places to live, learn, and work.

GOALS TO IMPROVE YOUTH OUTCOMES

Goal 1:

Promote coordinated 

strategies to improve youth 

outcomes

Objective 1:

Align and simplify federal 

guidance for youth programs.

Objective 2:

Coordinate youth programming 

and funding support at the 

federal, state, local, and tribal 

level.

Objective 3:

Coordinate technical assistance 

efforts to leverage resources.

Goal 2:

Promote the use of evidence-based 

and innovative strategies at the 

federal, state, local, and tribal levels

Objective 1: 

Encourage the adoption of evidencebased strategies, and support their 

implementation.

Objective 2: 

Support innovation and deepen the 

evidence base to fill gaps in knowledge.

Goal 3:

Promote youth engagement 

and partnerships to strengthen 

programs and benefit youth

Objective 1: 

Promote youth-adult partnerships 

to support sustained youth 

engagement efforts and 

strengthen programs.

Objective 2:

Provide and encourage federal, 

state, local and tribal provision of 

multiple opportunities for youth 

to develop, master, and apply 

critical skills, including life and 

leadership skills.

CROSS-CUTTING INITIATIVES

1. Develop shared language on cross-cutting youth topics for federal grant applications and other federal 

documents and publications.

2. Assess and disseminate models of collaboration that provide a pathway to opportunity for youth, and yield 

other positive results.

3. Centralize and disseminate information on promising and evidence-based strategies for youth, including 

promising youth engagement and partnership strategies.

4. Promote data collection and long-term evaluation of youth programs.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Executive Order 13459, Omnibus Appropriations Act language, Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs 

Participant List, Executive Summary of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Public Input 

Summary Report