Summary
"Engaging Young People As Partners in Policy and Practice: Summary of Lessons from 25 Years of Global Youth Development" documents the evolution of USAID's approach to global youth development and youth engagement from 2000 to 2025. Drawing on agency policies, projects, funding data, strategic models, and insights from interviews and surveys with practitioners and youth leaders worldwide, the report captures key lessons from more than two decades of investment in young people. Published amid major changes to U.S. foreign assistance, it preserves evidence, tools, and practical recommendations to inform future policy and practice. Together with the Children and Youth Resource Hub, the report serves as a resource for policymakers, practitioners, researchers, youth leaders, and communities working to advance meaningful youth engagement and development worldwide.
Engaging Young People As Partners in Policy and Practice: Summary of Lessons from 25 Years of Global Youth Development
Author: Michael McCabe Sarah Sladen
Related: Children in Adversity Project
This publication was informed by an April 2026 convening at Georgetown University, where more than 100 former U.S. government staff, practitioners, funders, researchers, students, and young leaders came together to validate emerging findings and shape recommendations for the future of global youth development.
Ultimately, this report seeks to:
Ensure durable lessons from USAID’s efforts can help inform current and future efforts to support and meaningfully engage young people;
Preserve some of the collective experience, knowledge, and tools from the past 25 years of U.S. government investments in youth, which can offer a foundation for future efforts;
Serve as a useful resource to diverse audiences, including policymakers, researchers, practitioners, youth leaders, and communities who continue to invest in young people without the traditional U.S. government foreign assistance infrastructure;
Offer recommendations that are responsive to current challenges and opportunities for youth development and engagement.