This month, YSA begins its 25th year. In preparation for our birthday next year, we are planning a series of special events, refreshing the YSA brand, embarking on a new five-year strategic plan,
eveloping distinctive ways to spotlight the amazing young people that we’ve supported and learned from in the past, as well as the ones we continue to support and learn from today.I remember when I turned 25. I was crushed not to have it all “figured out” by that ripe old age. In the years since then (I won’t tell you how many!), I’ve learned that -- like people -- organizations never have it all figured out. Instead, it is essential to do what you love to do, do what you are good at, and always look for ways to grow and improve.
In my 10 years at YSA, I’ve experienced a steadfast and passionate commitment by our staff to doing what we love to do – improving communities around the world by engaging children and youth. It is this idea that makes our organization “tick”, and motivates each of us to work hard and do our best each day. That hasn’t changed, and I can’t imagine it ever will.
What has changed during my time at YSA is our understanding of what we are good at, and how we can employ those skills to support our overarching purpose. As part of our strategic planning process, we conducted stakeholder interviews with a diverse array of partners and identified four particular strengths: Partnership Development, Communications, Knowledge Management, and Resources. These strengths will guide our work over the next five years as we seek to achieve our broader goals.
YSA’s 25th birthday presents unique opportunities to grow and improve. Our dedication to receiving and applying feedback from our partners has never been stronger or more critical to our success. To that end, we would love to hear from you:
I hope YSA never has it all “figured out”; that will mean that we stop learning and growing. At the same time, we’ll never stop trying!
