Matt Morton of VoYC provided an overview of the data emerging from the initative, and how these insights will be used to have a meaningful impact in policy, programs, and practice. “It’s been a long time coming… we’ve waited a generation for this kind of data,” said Melinda Giovengo, Executive Director of YouthCare. “Thank you for not taking the easy road,” she continued, highlighting the importance of the comprehensive, rigorous, and youth-centered evidence that VoYC will offer to the field.

Topics covered at the presentation included an overview of the research components, the questions that will be answered by the data, and key messages from the national survey and in-depth interviews. The presentation concluded with a discussion of next steps, drawing on allies’ insights into the field to help guide the VoYC research to impact process. This conversation continued at a lively reception following the presentation.