Making Cents has been awarded a Long-Term Arrangement for Services (LTAS) contract to provide services for UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) Global Youth Agriculture Network (GYAN). This LTAS multiple-award contract is designed to improve young people’s perception of and engagement in agriculture and to contribute to the improvement of livelihoods, food systems, and nutritional status.

We look forward to supporting UNICEF’s GenU in equipping young people with skills that prepare them for future jobs, connecting them with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in agriculture, and promoting entrepreneurship as a mindset.

Making Cents International was awarded a new contract with DC’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to build on the successful completion of its DYRS Professional Development engagement in 2025. Under the new contract,  Making Cents will conduct follow-on targeted technical assistance and provide capacity-strengthening support for staff at the New Beginnings Youth Development Center. Through this effort, we will deliver three interconnected capacity-strengthening tracks alongside the development of interactive learning tools that reinforce learning and support long-term institutionalization of best practices. We are excited to continue our work with DYRS’s and its staff in 2026 and beyond.

Making Cents International is a member of the consortium awarded the new Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) contract to provide Due Diligence to MCC’s Human and Community Development (HCD) practice group. As a subcontractor to International Development Group, Making Cents will focus on providing specialized technical expertise in workforce development, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and education systems strengthening to support the HCD practice group activities in MCC countries across the MCC program cycle.

We look forward to working on our first contract in support of MCC’s mandate and the specific programming implemented by the HCD team.

Making Cents International was awarded two contracts with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to develop a more comprehensive picture of the direct, indirect, and economic value generated by skills development investments delivered through Public-Private Development Partnerships (PPDPs). To that end, Making Cents will be tasked with conducting two complementary studies. The first study will examine the indirect impacts of Training of Trainers models, applying a Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology to assess the broader social, economic, and environmental value generated through PPDPs. The second study will focus on the value of skills by gathering in-depth evidence from a project context and translating that evidence into a prototype tool for estimating the economic value of skills gained through PPDP-supported training.

We look forward to working with UNIDO to provide it with a stronger evidence base for demonstrating return on investment to private-sector partners, funders, and other stakeholders; informing decisions about future skills investments; and communicating the broader value of PPDP-supported training.

The Washington, D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) engaged Making Cents International to boost staff capacity at the New Beginnings Youth Development Center—empowering frontline teams to better support youth navigating the juvenile justice system. Through this activity, our team equipped DYRS staff with the skills and tools to deliver high-impact, youth-centered, trauma-informed support that advances positive outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system—a group that faces some of the toughest barriers to re-engagement and success.

Using a five-phase, user-centered process—Discovery, Development, Capacity Strengthening, Implementation, and Learning—Making Cents:

> Assessed employment readiness, reintegration strategies, and wraparound services.
> Designed a tailored, evidence-based training grounded in Positive Youth Development (PYD) and community violence interruption principles.
> Facilitated an immersive 4-day training focused on collaboration, self-reflection, and practical skill-building across departments.
> Onboarded supervisors as “Champions” to reinforce and sustain learning.
> Concluded with a final learning session and toolkit of resources to sustain impact.

Youth involved in the justice system are not always easy to engage—but with the right support, they can heal, grow, and thrive. We’re proud to stand alongside DYRS staff who show up every day to make that possible.

At Making Cents, we have always believed in the power of knowledge and collaboration to drive growth and positive change. To that end, on International Youth Day, August 12th, we have started to upload key documents created under USAID’s YouthPower 2: Learning and Evaluation program to the DECfinder platform. These resources were previously found on USAID’s Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC), and we intend that they continue to inform and guide the community moving forward.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to these invaluable resources, and to the entire youth development community for your dedication and tireless work. Together, we will continue to create lasting change for youth worldwide.

Making Cents International brought together 40 youth economic opportunity experts – our longtime colleagues, collaborators, and changemakers – to reconnect, take stock, and imagine what comes next in the Youth Economic Opportunities (YEO) field given major shifts in global development. Titled YEO Post-USAID: Sustaining Progress and Reimagining the Future, the event allowed us to reflect on where we are, share bold ideas, and explore what we might build together next. Our special thanks go out to Global Fund for Children for being such wonderful and welcoming hosts.

Thank you to all who participated in lively and productive discussions. We look forward to continuing these critical conversations in the weeks and months ahead!

USAID’s Youth Resilience, Inclusion, and Empowerment (Y-RIE) Activity in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC) continues to draw positive publicity for its successful private-sector partnerships. This month, Cabot Saint Lucia’s formal partnership with USAID was highlighted for its ability to drive community-led projects that promote violence prevention, education, and work readiness for youth who face critical challenges.  

The spotlight on meaningful partnerships joins a number of features this year on the activity in the ESC region.

The YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE) Activity concluded after five years of successful implementation. Awarded in September 2019 as a follow-on to YouthPower Learning, YP2LE aimed to build, expand, and disseminate Positive Youth Development (PYD) evidence and learning across sectors. The Activity promoted PYD best practices to transform youth engagement. 

In collaboration with partners, YP2LE deepened the evidence base, broadened access to knowledge, fostered inclusive youth engagement, and facilitated the application of PYD in program design and implementation. The Activity supported USAID Missions and operating units with rapid-response technical assistance while championing PYD principles. 

Building on YouthPower Learning’s success, YP2LE’s approach combined global PYD evidence building, stakeholder engagement, knowledge transfer, and application of learning. This helped USAID and other youth development stakeholders create high-quality, effective, and sustainable programs. Over the course of the Activity, more than 16,000 Learning Network members participated in over 200 events organized, sponsored, or co-hosted by YP2LE. The Activity engaged more than 769 youth, created and disseminated 93 new evidence products, and attracted 3,843,464 website views across its two websites, YouthPower.org and YouthLead.org. 

The Global Youth Economic Opportunities (GYEO) Summit, held from September 9-12, brought together over 340 youth leaders, global experts, and development professionals to explore sustainable and all-encompassing economic opportunities for young people. Themed Youth Driving the Green Economy, the Summit highlighted the critical role of youth in addressing challenges related to green skilling, the just transition, and the circular economy. 

A notable addition this year was the Youth Leadership Accelerator, a pre-summit initiative that equipped 31 youth leaders from countries such as Iraq, Kenya, and Ukraine with essential skills in storytelling, networking, and career development. This initiative set the stage for broader discussions at the Summit, emphasizing the importance of youth-led initiatives and intergenerational collaboration. 

As the Summit concluded, participants were left with a clear call to action: to be bold and committed to changing systems. The event underscored that collaboration across generations and sectors is essential to creating a sustainable future where young people are not just participants but leaders. 

In May 2024, IDAMS completed an analysis focused on marginalized youth participation in food systems in southern Madagascar. IDAMS identified marginalized youth and collected data among internally displaced youth, youth with disabilities, youth from non-dominant ethnic groups, and youth with albinism. The research identified the multiple social, economic, and structural barriers to their improved nutrition and economic empowerment. Based on the findings, IDAMS made multiple recommendations to USAID/Madagascar including expanding marginalized youth participation in government economic development programs, supporting youth nutrition champions, and building their financial literacy and employability and entrepreneurial skills.   

During 2024, IDAMS also conducted two studies on disability inclusion in USAID global health and humanitarian programs. These studies identified barriers to participation of persons with disabilities and made recommendations. Barriers included USAID and partner gaps in understanding the diverse needs of persons with disabilities, challenges in accessing services, and societal stigma. Through two webinars for more than 100 USAID staff members, IDAMS shared its findings and recommendations, including creating and using practical tools that reinforce good practices, building knowledge and capacity among USAID staff and implementing partners, hiring more people with lived experience, working with organizations of persons with disabilities, and improving data collection. 

Join us at the 2024 Global Youth Economic Opportunities (GYEO) Summit on September 9-12, 2024! Convening in Washington, D.C., at the Silver Spring Civic Center, the theme for 2024 is Youth Driving the Green Economy. We will examine emerging programming and evidence around the just transition, green jobs and entrepreneurship, green skilling, circular economy, climate finance, and youth-led policy and advocacy. The Summit will also feature sessions on other topics that affect youth economic opportunities (e.g., digital economy and AI, promoting resilience, and private sector engagement).

If you are a young professional, don’t miss out on the new Youth Leadership Accelerator program, which will take place on September 9-10, 2024. The program will focus on the capacity strengthening of young professionals and leaders, building their peer-to-peer networks and connections with adult allies.

Register to join multi-stakeholders from over 75+ countries! 

Note: Please contact Summit organizers for group ticket sales.

Making Cents was awarded one of the small business contracts for the Central America Regional Support Services (CARSS) IDIQ. This five-year IDIQ, with a ceiling of $800 million, will provide technical support to USAID Missions in Latin America and the Caribbean for addressing a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States, particularly those related to economic opportunity, governance and transparency, climate change, crime, and insecurity.  

Making Cents looks forward to supporting USAID Missions in Latin America and the Caribbean under CARSS. 

We are elated to announce the award of the Balkans Regional Program Support Activity (BRPSA) IDIQ! This five-year, $20 million IDIQ was awarded by USAID’s Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance (ROAA) at the USAID Mission in Kosovo.

Making Cents will provide program support services for USAID Missions in the Balkan region, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Services provided to Missions under this IDIQ may include program office support; performance management; evaluation; collaborating, learning, and adapting; strengthening capacity of local MEL providers; program information management; data quality assessments; development information system; outreach information; and support services.

Making Cents is honored to be a recipient of this award and to support Missions in the Balkans.

We are elated to announce the award of the Compliance and Capacity Support for Diverse Partnerships (CCSDP) IDIQ! This five-year, $250 million IDIQ from USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Development, and Innovation’s Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships (LFT) Hub will provide technical support to USAID Missions and Operating Units in their engagement with non-traditional partners, including local actors, new partners, faith-based organizations, and minority-serving institutions.

Making Cents, with subcontractors Kaizen, a Tetra Tech Company; Pact; and Risk and Strategic Management will leverage our combined 80 years of experience strengthening the capacity of over 3,000 local organizations to support USAID in improving local partnerships; monitoring, evaluation, and learning; third-party monitoring; risk assessment; and capacity strengthening for local actors.

Making Cents is honored to receive this award and contribute to the Agency’s objectives of strengthening local capacity and engaging meaningfully with new, non-traditional, and local partners.