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Established in 1988 with strong support from Lilly Endowment,
the Indiana Youth Institute quickly earned a national reputation for its research, training and resource services in the youth development field. In 1989, the agency launched its Library and Resource Center, prepared an inaugural report entitled “A Crisis in Child Welfare,” and sponsored a conference for 250 professionals, policymakers, funders and youth from across the state.
Leadership development and proposal writing training began the following year, and in 1991, IYI began the Indiana Youth Investment Award recognition program for youth workers. In 1994, IYI released its first Kids Count in Indiana Data Book and published the highly acclaimed High Hopes, Long Odds report, which captured the opinions of more than 5,000 Hoosier young people.
During our tenth anniversary year, IYI’s Board of Directors voted to refocus the agency’s efforts primarily on providing practical resources for youth workers and community-based youth-serving organizations. These can include after-school and summer camp programs, mentoring and tutoring groups, Scout troops, YMCAs, schools, youth ministries, arts organizations serving youth, and agencies serving disabled or homeless children, among others. Secondary audiences include public officials, civic leaders, academics, and other policymakers who develop decisions impacting Indiana children.
The agency reevaluated its existing programs, discontinued some of them, and revamped others like the library, the Indiana Youth Investment Awards and the conference to make them more practical, pertinent and useful to youth organizations. At the same time, new programs were developed based on needs outlined in a statewide study of youth workers.
Since 1998, the institute has grown in services and impact, and is now known as the state’s premiere resource for Indiana youth workers. IYI has gained a national reputation as one of the few statewide organizations in the country dedicated to strengthening the skills of youth workers and building the capacity of their youth-serving organizations. Our programs are used as models throughout the U.S.
IYI’s current programs provide Indiana youth professionals with practical assistance in working with kids, raising money, strengthening their nonprofit management, connecting youth workers with each other, and building parental and community support of the state’s children and youth. In addition, the institute is an outspoken advocate for healthy youth development on the local, state, and national level. The agency is regarded as an impartial source of accurate youth information by legislators from all parties, government leaders, and civic groups, and we are often cited in media reports about youth issues.
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