Events
Upcoming EVENTS
Accessibility to Belonging: Creating Inclusive Spaces Where Every Young Person Can Thrive
Youth-serving professionals want every young person to feel welcome, valued, and able to fully participate. Yet many barriers to participation remain invisible until we intentionally examine how our programs, practices, and assumptions shape young people's experiences. This interactive workshop introduces KBD Collaborative's Know Better, Be Better, Do Better framework to explore accessibility as an essential component of high-quality youth development rather than an added responsibility. Participants will deepen their understanding of disability, reflect on personal and organizational beliefs, examine how ableism and other systems influence practice, and explore practical strategies grounded in Positive Youth Development. Throughout the day, participants will develop concrete action steps to create more accessible, inclusive, and relationship-rich environments where every young person can experience belonging and thrive.
Participants will:
-Increase understanding of disability, accessibility, and belonging by examining historical, social, and systems-level perspectives that influence youth experiences.
-Reflect on personal beliefs, assumptions, and organizational practices to identify how ableism and other barriers can unintentionally limit participation and belonging.
-Explore practical inclusion strategies to reduce barriers and expand meaningful participation.
-Develop an action plan to create more accessibility and belonging within youth programs and organizations.
This workshop is open to all youth development professionals and requires registration. The registration fee is $30.00.
October In-Person Co-Working Day
Looking for a comfortable place to work, connect, and spend time with others in the youth development field?
Join us in the YDRC Community Conference Room, Room 216, for a flexible co-working day designed for youth development professionals to work alongside one another, exchange ideas, and build relationships across the network.
Sign up for a time slot, bring what you’re working on, and use the space in the way that works best for you. Whether you want to focus independently, brainstorm with a peer, catch up with a colleague, or meet someone new, the space is available for you to work and connect.
There is no formal agenda or scheduled programming. Co-Working Days are simply time set aside to work, network, and connect with other youth development professionals in a relaxed setting.
During your time with us, enjoy Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, books and resources, snacks, Nespresso coffee and other beverages, games, including a Detroit edition of Monopoly, and a few seasonal details throughout the space that come with fall.
Sign up for the co-working time slot that works best for you!
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Location: Durfee Innovation Society, 2470 Collingwood St. (Room 216), Detroit, MI 48206
Management Quality Series: Intentional Program Design and Improvement
Strong youth programs are intentionally cultivated through clear purpose, supportive relationships, meaningful learning experiences, stakeholder voice, reflection, and sustainable systems. Facilitated by Kiylise Lowe, this interactive workshop will introduce participants to the Seed to Systems Framework and help them explore how these elements work together to strengthen program quality.
Participants will leave with practical strategies for creating programs that are purpose-driven, psychologically safe, responsive to stakeholder voice, and supported by reflective systems that sustain quality over time.
This workshop is intended for all youth development professionals. Registration is required. The registration fee is $30.00.
Grant Writing Essentials: From Opportunity to Winning Proposal
Strong grant proposals begin long before the first word is written. Join nonprofit consultant and grant strategist Monique Phillips, MPA, for an interactive, in-person workshop designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of the fundamentals of successful grant writing. This session will walk nonprofit leaders, staff, and aspiring grant writers through the grant development process, from identifying well-aligned funding opportunities and understanding funder priorities to crafting compelling narratives, developing realistic budgets, defining measurable outcomes, and submitting a complete and competitive proposal.
Participants will learn practical strategies for communicating organizational need and impact, positioning programs for investment, avoiding common grant-writing mistakes, and building stronger relationships with prospective funders. The workshop will also explore what makes a proposal stand out in a competitive funding environment and provide actionable tools and insights participants can immediately apply to their organizations’ fundraising efforts. Whether participants are new to grant writing or seeking to strengthen their existing skills, they will leave with greater confidence and a clearer framework for turning funding opportunities into strong, fundable proposals.
Management Quality Series: Quality Staff and Support
Strong programs start with staff who feel supported, prepared, and able to grow. Designed for individuals responsible for staff quality and support, this interactive workshop, facilitated by Jasmine Cooper, will help youth-serving leaders reflect on their staff culture and explore practical approaches to coaching, feedback, development, and accountability.
Participants will leave with evidence-informed strategies and one concrete action they can use to strengthen staff support and program quality.
This workshop is intended for youth development professionals who support, lead, or supervise other staff members. The registration fee is $30.00.
Ready, Set, Summer!
Get ready to launch your summer program with confidence, clarity, and a whole lot of energy! In this interactive and engaging workshop, we'll explore what strong, impactful summer programming really looks like and how you can bring that vision to life for the young people you serve.
Ask. Listen. Create.
This interactive workshop introduces Ask, Listen, Create, a model to a creative approach to co-designing programming with youth input and imagination at the center.
The Youth Development Communications Lab
In this playful, strategy-driven session, participants will assess their organization’s brand through clarity, tone, and connection.
CONVENINGS
YDRC convenings bring together youth development leaders across Metro Detroit to connect, learn, and align around shared goals. These gatherings create space for collaboration, reflection, and collective action to strengthen the youth development ecosystem.