CLPHA Director of Cross-Sector Initiatives Abra Lyons-Warren was recently invited to serve on an expert advisory group (EAG) for the Youth Fields Workforce Study, funded by the Wallace Foundation and led by Deborah Moroney at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and partners. In her role, Abra will represent the interests and needs of the youth fields workforce in housing authorities, advise on the study, and ensure the work can be a key driver to inform policy and practice.
Through a national survey and a set of case studies, the Youth Fields Workforce Study will document the varied and vast landscape of the youth fields workforce that supports youth in both formal and informal out-of-school time settings. From school-age childcare providers to community center staff to librarians to wilderness guides to sport coaches (and many more), these adults support youth to thrive. If we know more about the adults in the youth fields workforce, we can do more to assert the essential roles they play in the lives of youth, prioritize efforts to act on their behalf, and further strengthen their work with youth.