The PYD Lab

Photography can be a catalyst for change and a tool for development, all while fostering Positive Youth Development. In this enlightening episode of The PYD Lab, our guest, former USAID Care Leaders Council member Bertha Lutome, shares compelling insights on how photography has not only captured the essence of communities but also spurred positive change. Join us for an inspiring conversation that underscores the role of photography in development and the importance of a balanced narrative.

If we are looking to clean up our economic system, we need to look at our current production process. The PYD Lab welcomes Sofia Sydorenko, a Ukrainian zero-waste entrepreneur, and Hillary Proctor, Senior Director of Economic Opportunities at Making Cents International. They provide an insightful conversation on transitioning to a green economy and how young entrepreneurs and program implementers can do their part.

Join us for an interesting conversation on mental health as we examine its intersection with positive youth development. In this episode, we delve into pressing issues affecting youth's mental well-being — from rapid information consumption to invisible mental health issues and past experiences. We look at utilizing best practices from the Trauma-informed Approach while promoting overlapping aspects of mental health found in The Positive Youth Development Framework. Plus, we give implementers better insight into integrating mental health into their youth programming.

In this episode of The PYD Lab, we delve into the multifaceted and growing world of digital literacy with Digital Transformation Analyst, Steffon Lewis, hailing from the Ministry of Digital Transformation in Trinidad and Tobago. Lewis talks about ethical tech use, the rise of artificial intelligence, worrisome trends, and the delicate balance between internet regulation and personal freedoms. 

Bridging the gap for young women and girls is top of mind this International Women’s Day as we are all called to Embrace Equity. The PYD Lab welcomes entrepreneur and former YouthLead Ambassador Abimbola Ajala, founder of LendAHandAfrica. We learn about her organization’s determination to make sure girls are educated, too, and why messaging and getting others on board matters in achieving equity.

Organismal zoologist Collin VanBuren and agroindustrial entrepreneur Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera join us for an exciting episode on food waste and sustainability. Learn more about the impact of USAID's Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, how using a circular economy to organically innovate tomorrow’s food sources can help with sustainability, and why using small insects to transform organic waste into food might be the wave of the future.

Rasmus Jakobsen and Anxhela Bruci are two young entrepreneurs running startups with social good at their core. From starting up to dealing with growing pains, they share their journeys and perspectives on running businesses in Greenland and Albania, and what they want policymakers to know about young business owners.

Content warning: This episode contains a discussion about female genital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence, and domestic violence.

It is estimated that more than three million girls will be at risk of FGM this year alone. Catherine Kimaren Mootian joins The PYD Lab as not only a survivor of FGM, but as an advocate for its eradication through her organization, AfyAfrika. Catherine shares her own powerful story and how her project, Scars to Stars, is helping other survivors find their voice and feel seen.