September 9, 2026
From Challenge to Opportunity:
How "PlanBe" Used Innovation, Youth Engagement, and Community Partnerships to Adapt and Thrive
This webinar will explore how "PlanBe" adapted its youth programming when changes in Florida law limited the organization’s ability to work in school-based settings.
With more than 20 years of experience serving youth in Miami-Dade County and more than 75,000 youth reached, PlanBe will share how implementation challenges became opportunities to innovate, strengthen community partnerships, and expand community-based programming.
Participants will learn how they pivoted from a primarily school-based approach to a community-based implementation model, including developing “The Breakfast Club,” a youth-centered strategy designed to increase engagement, recruitment, and retention.
The webinar will highlight lessons learned around Positive Youth Development, youth voice, sustainability, multiple funding streams, and the importance of remaining flexible, relevant, and responsive to changing youth needs. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for navigating unexpected implementation challenges while maintaining program quality and meaningful youth engagement.
Objectives: Participants will:
Identify strategies for pivoting youth programs from school-based to community-based implementation when external challenges arise.
Apply youth engagement, recruitment, and Positive Youth Development strategies to strengthen participation and retention.
Develop approaches to innovation, collaboration, and funding diversification that support program sustainability and responsiveness to youth needs.
Presenters:
Who should attend: FYSB and OPA grant managers, program directors, program coordinators, implementation staff, youth engagement coordinators, recruitment staff, evaluation staff, sustainability/funding staff, organizational leadership, federal program officers, state program officers, TA providers, evaluators, curriculum developers and publishers, youth development professionals
When: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 @ 1:00pm Pacific/4:00pm Eastern
Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: Free!
