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INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT WELL-BEING AND EQUITY
YTFG’s Fall meeting delved into an array of investment strategies philanthropy can consider to support the well-being and equity of youth and young adults. We lifted up incredible examples of amazing work underway in Detroit, notably:
the successful efforts to develop robust workforce systems to support youth and young adults, including summer employment;
innovative policy and practice work to transform youth justice and child welfare systems, and
cross-systems efforts to support mental wellness.
In addition, we learned from leaders of the newly created Office of Research and Well Being at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, one of the first in the nation examples of a dedicated public agency that utilized YTFG's well-being framework in its design.
We had the opportunity to connect with colleagues through dedicated meetings of our Direct Cash Transfers and Policy Action Tables and in small group strategy discussions.
Angelique Power
Keynote Speaker
Angelique Power is the President & CEO of The Skillman Foundation, a Detroit-based foundation that partners with people to transform education systems, nurturing the brilliance of Detroit youth. With assets over $550 million, The Skillman Foundation provides approximately $19 million in grants annually.
Under Power’s tenure, The Skillman Foundation has led a community-rooted strategic planning process to rethink its grantmaking and metrics. She architected a racial equity audit allowing for transparency to community on all Foundation spending and elevated the role of the Youth Council to bring them to decision making tables within the Foundation and across Michigan.
Prior to The Skillman Foundation, Power was President of the Chicago-based Field Foundation and Program Director at the Joyce Foundation. She led communications and community engagement at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and community relations efforts for Target Corporation.
Plenary Sessions
Monday, September 30
Welcome & Remembering Patrice
Detroit, Sankofa, and the Futurism of Youth Power
Keynote Address - Angelique Power, CEO, Skillman Foundation
Performances by We Are Culture Creators
Tuesday, October 1
Operationalizing the Well-Being Framework
The Office of Research and Well Being at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has elevated well-being as a cross-systems priority in the state, utilizing the YTFG framework. Hear from leaders about their planning work and current priorities to center well-being in agency efforts.
Moderator: Lyman Legters, Casey Family Programs
Dr. Verletta Saxon, DCFS Director of Research and Child Wellbeing
Heather Fox, Lead Researcher
Cassandra Williams, Task Force Member and Lived Expert
Systems Reforms to Support Equity and Well-Being
Panelists discussed the implications of two significant policy developments from a cross-systems perspective: the recent passage of comprehensive juvenile justice reform package and a local collaborative convened by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation to address gun violence.
Moderator: Michelle Weemhoff, Founder, Next Generation Justice Consulting
Jason Smith, Executive Director of Michigan Center for Youth Justice
Jennifer Heymoss, Blueprint for Peace Chief Facilitator, Michigan Transformation Collective
Lessons from the Fellow Philanthropy Project
Our Fellows shared lessons learned from the YTFG Fellow Philanthropy Project, including advice for our network members on grant making practices and strategies.
Moderator: Jennifer Miller, YTFG Lead Consultant for Child Welfare
Daniel Bisuano, YTFG Fellow
Lupita Carballo, YTFG Fellow
Fatima Juarez, YTFG Fellow
Vannesa Santos, YTFG Fellow
Creative Youth Development: A New Approach to Workforce Development
Creative Youth Development is a commitment to supporting young people’s stories, ideas, and dreams through creative expression and honoring their lived experience. This panel included two local organizations working in creative youth development: We Are Culture Creators and The Neutral Zone.
Moderator: Stephanie Krauss, YTFG Lead Consultant, Economic Well-Being
Michael Reyes, Co-Founder, We Are Culture Creators
Lori Roddy, Executive Director, The Neutral Zone
Supporting Mental Wellness for Youth and Young Adults
Mental wellness continues to be a critical need for youth and young adults. This session highlighted local efforts to support mental wellness within Detroit public schools and for young people who have been impacted by the justice system.
Moderator: David McGhee
Sharlonda Buckman, Assistant Superintendent of Family and Community Engagement, Detroit Public Schools
Danielle Atkinson, National Executive Director and Founder, Mothering Justice
Andrea M. Cole, President & CEO, Ethel & James Flinn Foundation