Our mission is to improve the lives of all Indiana children by strengthening and connecting the people, organizations, and communities that are focused on kids and youth.
Our vision is to be a catalyst for healthy youth development and for achieving statewide child success. We strive to create best practices models, provide critical resources, and advocate for policies that result in positive youth outcomes.
We have one goal — to improve the lives of Indiana’s youth. How we do that is always evolving, but the goal never changes.
We challenge the status quo, seeking and delivering innovative solutions to address today’s youth development issues and encouraging others to join us in our efforts.
We provide opportunities for others to receive continued education and training, access critical data, and share best practices so that all can benefit from the collective wisdom of IYI, our partners, and peers.
We believe in the power of collaboration and the strength in partnership, so we look for opportunities to join forces with others and create an environment where connection and collaboration are expected and rewarded.
We use our voice to amplify the voices of others to inspire action that will create measurable and positive change.
We elevate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to tackle structural barriers rooted in racial, ethnic, and gender inequities.
The needs of children and youth are complex and interconnected. Youth-serving individuals and organizations are key to an intentional support network for our kids.
We understand there are time and resource pressures that youth workers must balance with their need to stay on top of new information and promising practices.
Our goal is to make their work easier by supporting the youth services field in Indiana with innovative trainings, critical data, and capacity-building resources as they work to increase the well-being of all Hoosier children.
At Indiana Youth Institute, supporting equitable opportunities for youth and children is at the core of our mission. We believe that every child counts.
Our work is not finished until all children, in every part of our state, are safe, well-educated, healthy, and supported by caring adults.
We have a special interest in addressing barriers for youth and the youth-serving field face — challenges based on race, place, household income, differing abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, systemic and historical marginalization, and traumatic experiences.
Indiana Youth Institute is established with support from Lilly Endowment.
Library and Resource Center is launched.
First IYI conference is presented for 250 professionals, policymakers, funders and youth.
Release of first Kids Count in Indiana Data Book.
Board votes to refocus IYI efforts primarily on community-based youth-serving organizations.
First on-the-road training takes place in Columbus.
Professional Development Grant program debuts.
First field representatives hired to serve more youth organizations locally.
Kids Count in Indiana Conference changes to a two-day format, with 1,337 people attending from over 90 percent of lndiana’s counties.
IYI releases new logo and branding to highlight the rippling impact of youth workers
Launch of statewide and regional mentoring initiatives for youth impacted by opioids through a grant from the Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) through the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
$190,000 designated to provide direct support and immediate relief to Indiana youth-serving professionals impacted by COVID-19.
First virtual Advancing Equity Summit
Indiana youth serving intermediaries announces a multi-year, $20 million plan to support youth serving professionals across the state through the Youth Worker Well-Being Project
IYI provides technical support to youth organizations through Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana