The IYF Library: A Unique Youth Development Resource

Through its newly-enhanced digital library, the International Youth Foundation (IYF) offers youth development practitioners, donors, policymakers, and academicians a wealth of information about youth needs around the globe and how to design and deliver effective, scalable programs.  

This multilingual repository holds more than a decade’s worth of lessons learned, best practices, news, and research from IYF programs and initiatives. With the site’s improved functionality, users can easily locate resources by topic, country, year, and language.  

“IYF and our partners place a premium on sharing valuable lessons and effective strategies for ensuring that today’s youth develop the skills and competencies needed to transition to a productive adulthood,” said IYF Chief Operating Officer Awais Sufi. “This user-friendly tool leverages IYF’s experience working in diverse countries and contexts to plan, implement, scale, and sustain effective programs. Our thanks extend to all of our donors and partners who have supported IYF’s learning agenda.”  

Among the hundreds of library entries, visitors will find publications such as:  

• Strengthening Life Skills for Youth—This guide to enhancing the design, planning, implementation, and evaluation of life skills programming and training is based on nine standards of excellence.  
• Telling a New Story of the World’s Youth: A Handbook for Youth-Serving Organizations—This step-by-step guide describes how to write effective stories, not only of youth beneficiaries, but those individuals and organizations that play a critical role in ensuring young people’s success. 
• Analysis of ICT-Enabled Youth Employment in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa—Commissioned by The Rockefeller Foundation, this is one of a number of IYF resources analyzing economic growth sectors offering quality employment opportunities for youth. 
• Second Chances for Youth at Risk—Based on the experiences of IYF’s Caribbean Youth Empowerment Program, this publication examines efforts to equip vulnerable youth with the life and technical skills needed to enter the job market.  

In addition to the above topics, the IYF Library features materials related to youth and labor market assessments, NGO capacity building, job training and placement, public sector collaboration, social entrepreneurship, and more.    

Support for the development of these resources has come from a variety of sources, including: the US Agency for International Development, the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Youth Employment, Hilton Worldwide, Caterpillar Foundation, Microsoft, Inter-American Development Bank, and many others.