KYD Network 2025-26 Cohort Application

The following application is intended for Executive Directors of youth-serving organizations seeking to join KYD Network's cohort in the period September 1, 2025 - August 31, 2026.

The following document constitutes a Memorandum of Understanding between potential cohort organizations and KYD Network. If you have any questions, or would like to adapt the language to better suit your program's needs and goals, please contact us at info@kydnet.org.

Upon completion of this application, you will be contacted by a KYD Network coach to schedule an "Initial Engagement" to get started with KYD Network.

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What We Do 💡

Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYD Network) is a youth development intermediary that envisions an anti-racist community where all youth thrive. Our mission is to coordinate an out-of-school time (OST) system that is anti-racist, youth-driven, and high-quality. We seek to sustain liberatory learning environments and organizations by taking a healing-centered approach to our internal processes and collective work.

We partner with over 50 youth-serving organizations in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties to provide training, coaching, and technical assistance using the assess/plan/improve model from the Forum for Youth Investment. Our interventions are grounded in a Critical Youth Development (CYD) framework, which centers the lived experiences of young people today, especially youth of color and historically marginalized groups, to create OST spaces that integrate identity, belonging, and agency for all. We measure our impact with data - which show consistent gains in program quality, organizational equity, youth social and emotional learning (SEL) skills, family engagement, staff feeling supported, and staff confidence in facilitating CYD.

We are so excited that you want to create a transformational relationship with us! Let's get into it.

Your Name
Your Title
Your Organization
How many distinct programs or sites do you have?
What time(s) of year do you offer youth programming?
Clear selection
KYD Network, serving as an intermediary organization, will provide cohort members:

  1. A dedicated KYD Network coach who will guide you through every aspect of the Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) process through coaching, technical support, and resource sharing;

  2. Access to cohort-wide staff trainings aligned with our Critical Youth Development framework and your program’s goals;

  3. Access to KYD Network meetings and events to network and build community in-person and virtually;

  4. Access to best practices, trends, and funding opportunities (on regional, state, and national levels);

  5. Opportunity to be featured in our Program Finder at www.kydnet.org to reach more families;

  6. Access to a grant-funded Healing-Centered Youth Engagement Immersive program (October 2025);

  7. Opportunities to collaborate within and across sectors to bust barriers in areas such as transportation, compensation, healthcare, community violence, and more.

Link to KYD Network 2025-26 Events Calendar
(subject to change)
As a KYD Network cohort member, your organization will:

  1. Connect with your KYD Network coach regularly to implement the Youth Program Quality Intervention process (collecting data as scheduled, developing and implementing improvement plans, reaching out for support as needed);

  2. Attend (and support your staff in attending) KYD Network trainings to support your data-driven goals;

  3. Attend (and support your staff in attending) KYD Network meetings and events;

  4. Provide KYD Network with a list of staff to receive communication (calendar invites, newsletters, etc.);  

  5. Include KYD Network in related social media posts as appropriate; and

  6. Participate in KYD Network’s annual out-of-school time (OST) advocacy events: Lights On Afterschool and the National Day of Summer Learning.

Please read and agree to the following statement:
What are your primary goals for participating in this cohort?
How committed are you to attending scheduled cohort convenings and coaching sessions?
Not Committed
Fully Committed
Clear selection
Please list all staff emails to be included in KYD Network communications
By joining as a KYD Network cohort member, you are gaining access to over $25,000 worth of services - at little to no cost. If it is within your capacity, we invite you to support KYD Network with a monetary or non-monetary donation (not required)
If yes, please list the amount and we will issue an invoice with payment instructions. If you'd like to support with a non-monetary donation, please describe below (some ideas: share your space with us to host cohort events, facilitate a cohort training in your area of expertise, etc!)
Do you have any accessibility needs or other considerations we should be aware of?
What questions or comments do you have for us?
Date of Agreement
MM
/
DD
/
YYYY
Executive Director/President/CEO signature
By typing your name below, you are signing this document. A copy will be emailed to you upon completion.
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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