Youth Catalyst Team

A national initiative for young leaders, ages 18-24, who use their knowledge, skills, vision, and personal understanding of systems/services to advance the youth services field.

a group of young adults next to a brick wall

Youth Catalyst Team (YCT) members operate as paid consultants: providing training and coaching, developing tools and resources, and propelling national awareness efforts and systems change. Youth and young adult leaders are part of the team - working in authentic partnership with Youth Collaboratory to reimagine possibilities for each youth, family, agency, and the larger youth services field.

About Us

What is the Youth Catalyst Team (YCT)?  
YCT members operate as paid consultants at $40/hour: providing training and coaching, developing tools and resources, and propelling national awareness efforts and systems change. Youth and young adult leaders are part of the team - focusing on creating transformative change in programs, services, and systems for youth experiencing homelessness, strengthening mentoring programs for older youth, and other initiatives as they arise. YCT members are passionate about using their expertise to improve programs, services, and systems, resulting in stronger outcomes for youth and young adults.  

What is the Girls Action Board (GAB)? 
GAB consultants are part of the Youth Catalyst Team, operating as paid consultants at $40/hour. GAB members will focus on preventing and addressing trafficking, with a focus on culturally responsive services for Black girls. The GAB team aims to create pathways for Black girls to lead in the work that centers their healing, resilience, and professional development. Members use their knowledge, skills, and vision to assist in overseeing the preventing and addressing trafficking initiative, provide insight, co-create materials, co-facilitate webinars, and share their expertise to ensure quality, culturally responsive services for Black girls.


About the Work 

Take a look at a few of the projects YCT consultants put out this past year: 

Hiring Process & Timeline

The application period to join the YCT recently closed. Below is our anticipated hiring timeline:  

  1. Submit YCT Application (deadline passed)
  2. Receive notification of interview 
  3. Interview w/ YCT and Youth Collaboratory staff January - March
  4. Receive hiring email 3/29/23
  5. Join the team's welcome meeting 4/11/23

Meet Our Members

Each YCT member brings unique skills, expertise, and energy to the team, and to Youth Collaboratory as a whole. Meet the Current Members of the YCT Team.

Guide to Authentic Youth Leadership and Collaboration

The Youth Catalyst Team created a tool to share some of their best practices! This guide is for youth and young adult leaders, catalysts, and advocates - as well as the adult collaborators that support their work. You can use this guide as a template for developing and sustaining youth and young adult leadership groups. Download the guide

Girls Action Board Poem: Black Girl, Speak Your Mind

The Girls Action Board (GAB) aims to create pathways for Black girls to lead in the work that centers their healing, resilience, and professional development. GAB members wrote and performed this collaborative poetry piece about the importance of centering Black girls. 

COVID-19 Response

The Youth Catalyst Team engaged in a critical discussion of what they're hearing in their communities and tips for staying safe during COVID-19. Click here to listen to what they had to say. 

Learn More

For more information about the Youth Catalyst Team, or to request training, consultation, brainstorming, coaching, or other project partnership, email us at yct@youthcollaboratory.org.