What We Do

Our Mission

To improve the quality of Detroit-area youth-serving organizations to maximize their impact on youth and to advocate for accessible high-quality youth development opportunities. See our values here.

Our Vision

To connect all Detroit-area youth to high-quality youth development opportunities that grow their capacities to thrive in school and life.

YDRC supports 100s of Detroit-area youth development providers with a holistic approach to quality, networking, advocacy, and adult learning to expand youth provider skills and capabilities.

Our programs strengthen the individual and collective impact on youth by giving the youth providers the tools they need to increase program quality and produce measurable results.

Many YDRC programs are free and include:

Shared Data Measurement
Professional Development
Learning Communities (Acting with Data and Equity Accelerator for Youth Development)
Networking Events

Each program is designed to help grow and increase the positive outcomes of the Detroit area programs and the youth they serve.

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How We Do It

Measure Quality and Impact

We provide access to standardized data, best practices and common measurement tools to help providers assess how many youth they are serving, how much service they are providing, how well the service is delivered, and what difference they are making in terms of the youth skills and outcomes.

Improve skills for effective youth work and management

We provide and connect youth development professionals to professional development designed to promote quality standards and best practices, giving providers the knowledge and skills they need to implement high-quality youth programming that is safe, supportive, engaging, and skill-building.

Connect providers to each other and to professional development opportunities.

We convene networking and peer-learning opportunities for professionals to build relationships and partnerships, connect to local resources and national best practices and share lessons learned.

Advocate for quality programming for all Detroit youth

We champion quality and equity so that more children across the Detroit area can access high-quality youth development opportunities.

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YDRC is Hiring

Download The Job Description

The Youth Development Resource Center seeks a full-time Program Associate – Network Engagement and Advocacy. The Program Associate will engage stakeholders and advance advocacy initiatives that enhance access to high-quality out-of-school-time (OST) programs. This position will focus on network-building, policy awareness, and capacity development, ensuring that youth-serving professionals, community organizations, and policymakers are well-connected and aligned in their efforts to improve opportunities for youth.

Looking Ahead — Our Strategic Plan

Download our Strategic Plan

The Youth Development Resource Center supports a network of hundreds of Detroit area youth development providers offering afterschool or summer programs. We seek to strengthen their individual and collective impact on youth, giving them the tools they need to increase program quality and improve youth outcomes.

YDRC Reporting

Download Our Impact Report

Our 2022-2023 Impact Report highlights the data-driven work of providers who engage in continuous improvement, delivering programs that help youth build the skills they need.

Download Our Landscape Scan

The Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC) conducted a study to better understand the Detroit youth development ecosystem and the role of the YDRC in supporting the adults who provide programming to children and youth in Detroit.

History

The Youth Development Resource Center has supported Detroit area youth-serving organizations since 2013. We began as a part of the Skillman Foundation’s Good Neighborhoods Initiative and later merged with the Initiative’s Youth Development Alliance. Since our founding, we’ve continued to grow, refine and standardize practices to support a growing network of youth-serving partners in and around Detroit. In 2023, YDRC began a fiscal sponsorship relationship with Allied Media Projects, Inc.

Staff

Poonam Borah

Executive Director

poonam@detroitydrc.org

Poonam is responsible for leading the YDRC team, implementing its strategic plan, and program design & development. She has been dedicated to bringing strategic vision to youth-focused initiatives and professional development, driving transformative change through partnerships, evidence-based program design, impactful implementation, and continuous improvement. Her expertise encompasses organizational leadership, social and emotional learning, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and fundraising, ensuring measurable outcomes for the communities she serves.

In her previous roles, including as a Program Officer with UNESCO and a Senior Research & Practice Specialist at the Forum for Youth Investment’s Weikart Center, she led initiatives that advanced youth development and capacity building in the U.S and on a global scale. From designing and implementing training programs to monitoring progress and securing grants, her work has consistently shaped policies and practices that empower young people across diverse cultural and social contexts.

Poonam has a master’s in educational studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a masters in English, from St. Stephens College, University of Delhi, India.

Yvonne Mejias

Deputy Director

yvonne@detroitydrc.org

Yvonne is responsible for leading the organization’s day-to-day operations and development efforts and supporting its administration, programs, and strategic plan. Her work centers on building cultures of belonging where people thrive.

For over fifteen years, Yvonne has endeavored to support continuous growth within herself and those she serves with empathy, consistency, and excellence. Through her work directly serving youth in out-of-school-time spaces, Yvonne has a firsthand understanding of the challenges and rewards of implementing high-quality youth development practices in programming. Her career opportunities have also provided her with experience in schools, working with parent groups, and developing and implementing curricula centered on social-emotional learning to support academic and life outcomes for youth. She is a licensed teacher, certified external assessor, coach for program quality assessment, Youth Work Methods and Management trainer, Social and Emotional Learning Methods facilitator, and restorative practice and circles facilitator.

Yvonne holds a Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership from Marquette University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Tammy Miller

Operations and Data Manager

Tammy@DetroitYDRC.org

Tammy is responsible for the daily operations and data management support of the organization.

While working at the University of Michigan School of Social Work (UM-SSW), Tammy was offered an opportunity to collaborate with the Detroit Technical Assistance Center (TAC) as their Data Technician/Administrative Coordinator. Her work with Detroit’s UM-TAC led her to YDRC. Tammy is also the owner of Miller Business Solutions, an administrative outsourcing company serving organizations with operations, database, and special project needs. She has 25+ years of business experience working in university, private, and non-profit settings, and has been engaged with the YDRC since its inception.

Tammy holds an Associate in Applied Science (Business Management) degree from Washtenaw Community College. She has also studied at Eastern Michigan University.

Albi Taipi

Senior Program Associate

Albi@DetroitYDRC.org

Albi is responsible for network engagement, advocacy efforts, data and improvement coordination, and communications with the YDRC to support Detroit area youth-serving professionals.

He is a recent graduate of Wayne State University, where he studied Political Science and Spanish. Albi is passionate about youth services, Michigan politics, and community development. He is an Albanian-American immigrant and longtime resident of Metro Detroit.

Prior to working at the Youth Development Resource Center, Albi was a Challenge Detroit fellow at Detroit Public Schools Community District, where he worked in Government and Community Affairs.

Consultants

Kiylise Lowe

kiylise@detroitydrc.org

Kiylise Lowe has worked in the out-of-school time youth development field for over 15 years. She is passionate about racial equity, inclusion, and social, emotional, and cognitive skills for youth and adults. Combining her passions with design work, she has a creative role in implementing programs and facilitating communities to achieve desired goals.

As a full-time consultant and thought-partner, her experiences working with leaders, intermediaries, managers, point-of-service staff, and youth have contributed toward opportunities that prepare all to thrive.