In 2007, ICP was selected as the permanent secretariat for the International Association for National Youth Service (IANYS), a global network of professionals working in the youth civic engagement and youth development fields, with a particular focus on national service and service-learning.

The International Association for National Youth Service (IANYS) is a unique global network of practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and other professionals actively working to encourage countries worldwide to implement policies and programs that support youth civic engagement.
In addition to advocating for strong youth policies, IANYS also facilitates the exchange of information, ideas, and best practices in youth service and provides assistance to nations wishing either to introduce new programs or to reshape existing programs. Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) is the permanent secretariat of IANYS.

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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.
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Leadership

The Global Council, the governing body of IANYS, is made up of experts in the field of youth service from around the world. ICP serves as the Secretariat of IANYS and Susan Stroud (ICP’s Executive Director) is the Director of IANYS.

IANYS Network Participation

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.
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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
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Expanding IANYS to Meet NYS Needs

Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) in Washington, DC, has been the permanent Secretariat of IANYS since March 2007. As Executive Director of ICP, Susan Stroud serves as the Director of IANYS.

Building on the momentum of the groundbreaking 8th Global Conference in an effort to create a more robust global network, IANYS intends to undertake several activities designed to strengthen the field of youth civic engagement globally, including researching and publishing an in-depth report on the state of NYS throughout the world, developing a network of consultants to advise and offer technical assistance on youth service program and policy development, creating an exchange program for policymakers and practitioners to gain first-hand knowledge and experience through fellowship projects, and building an online community of practice and resource center for the IANYS network.