The Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development (ICYD) Council is an interagency effort involving multiple state-level departments. Since 1999 the council has worked to coordinate its efforts and support positive youth development throughout Iowa.
ICYD’s structure includes
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a formalized council membership designated by legislation;
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a two-tier structure that includes a leadership council and a results team;
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a strategic plan outlining goals and annual reports providing status updates;
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youth involvement;
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regular meetings; and
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partnerships with national organizations, local communities, and programs.
ICYD’s best practices include the following:
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Provide consistent representation for national opportunities and look for support from a variety of sources.
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Develop a uniting goal to bring together the support of various agencies.
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Generate awareness and focus on positive youth development within the state.
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Connect state agencies to support overlapping initiatives.
Throughout its tenure, ICYD has learned the following lessons:
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Ongoing education is essential due to turnover on council.
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Strategic plans with lofty goals may not provide enough direction.
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Over time the structure of the collaboration may need to be adapted.
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We don’t have to do it all right away.
Additional key resources and information about the collaboration: ICYD Resources