About IANYS

The goal of IANYS is to stimulate and facilitate the exchange of information about national youth service (NYS), offer technical assistance to governments or private institutions that seek to develop or reshape NYS programs, and encourage youth to play an active role in their communities.

History

IANYS was formed in 1996 at the 3rd biennial global conference on national youth service (global conferences are held every two years in a different country). Since its inception, IANYS has grown to include participants from 50 different countries on six continents. IANYS is the only network of its kind actively working to encourage every country to consider the implementation of policies and programs to support youth civic engagement. IANYS also works to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas surrounding youth civic engagement policies and programs.

Leadership

The Global Council, the governing body of IANYS, is made up of experts in the field of youth service from around the world. Currently thirteen countries are represented on the Global Council. Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, Director of the UK’s Community Service Volunteers and organizer of the 4th global conference of IANYS, serves as the Global Council Chairman. ICP serves as the Secretariat of IANYS and Susan Stroud (ICP’s Executive Director) is the Director of IANYS. Don Eberly is the founder and Honorary President of the Association.

Click here for more information about members of the Global Council.

The Association welcomes the participation of anyone involved in national youth service, service-learning and other youth civic engagement programs who agrees with the IANYS charter, goals and principles. We particularly welcome people from countries where national youth service is under consideration or just getting under way. Membership in IANYS is currently informal and there are no membership fees, but this may be reviewed at a later date.

Primary IANYS Activities

1.  Collecting and disseminating information about National Youth Service (NYS) programs throughout the world;
2.  Providing assistance to countries and organizations interested in establishing NYS programs;
3.  Fostering the development of National Youth Service programs through exchanges and training of both staff members and young people in service;
4. Organizing Global Conferences on NYS;
5. Helping to arrange multi-National Youth Service teams;
6. Collaborating with the United Nations and other international bodies in activities of common interest;
7. Sharing information with NYS participants regarding progress in meeting human and environmental development goals and the role to be played by NYS participants in meeting these goals; and
8. Conducting NYS research, monitoring, and evaluation