Girl Scouts DreamLab: Youth Planning the Future

Are you interested in integrating youth into your planning initiatives? Are you committed to building lasting connections with historically marginalized communities, while also contributing to the diversity of our profession? This workshop provides theoretical underpinnings to approach both goals with practical tools, while also providing interactive engagement with youth.

Youth Engagement Planning (YEP!) is a national nonprofit organization, led by planners, that creates tools for participatory planning and project-based learning. It involves more than 8,000 students, educators, and community partners globally. This workshop introduces the YEP! mission, methodology, and examples from across the country for developing young people’s civic leadership, integrating younger voices into planning processes, and recruiting diverse voices into our profession.

On the heels of an immediately sold-out event at the 2023 National Planning Conference, this workshop goes even bigger by occurring at the Girl Scouts of America’s DreamLab. This hub prepares planners for taking city planning to more than 100 girls. The goal is is for every participant to leave having interacted with a young person. Youth participants will receive a newly instituted City Planning Patch. Participating planners are encouraged to learn best practices and put those skills into practice.