Young professionals put a high value on life-long learning and are always looking for ways to “plug-in” to various learning opportunities, from post graduate work to art classes to leadership development. In fact, 65% of YP Organization (YP Org) members indicate that leadership & professional development is one of the top three reasons they got involved in their YP Org, along with business and social networking opportunities.
Is your YP Org creating learning connections for your members?
If not, you may be missing a big opportunity to broaden your reach and engage new members or inactive members.
From “Lunch & Learns” to more formal “leadership academies” YP Orgs can offer an affordable, and often less-intimidating way for YPs to get (re)charged and gain new skills.
Need some inspiration? Check out these unique programs, developed by three of the country’s leading YP Orgs, making an impact in their members’ professional development:
Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros)
Each year, Tulsa’s Young Professionals matches 80+ members to area nonprofit boards through its Board Intern Partnership Program with Leadership Tulsa. What does it mean to be a board intern? Basically, it gives TYPros members the chance to be on a board without financial obligations or voting rights. This is a great opportunity to learn about community organizations in Tulsa and to learn how to become a contributing board member. Those that participate are encouraged to get actively involved on a committee so they get the best possible board experience. Additionally, TYPros members who already serve on other boards may still serve as a TYPros board intern to gain insight into other community boards and non-profits.
Young Professionals of Wichita (YPW)
This was the inaugural year for YPW’s Leadership Academy . YPW created the bi-weekly program to offer leadership development for YPW members interested in growing their leadership capabilities. Six bi-weekly sessions featured interactive exercises, issue exploration, self-assessments and in-depth conversations with Wichita’s top community and business leaders. The Academy educated YPW members on their personal styles, values and strengths so they can grow as leaders, motivate others and impact change in their organizations and communities. Other notable “leadership academy” type programs to check out include YLNI and ypBrevard .
Boise Young Professionals (BYP)
BYP’s b|wise Series was launched in June of 2007 to provide opportunities for BYP members to establish strong coaching/mentoring relationships with other young professionals and community leaders. This series pairs BYPers and established senior business leaders into ‘groups’ comprised of up to 10 BYPers and 1 mentor/facilitator - an accomplished individual at the top of their careers. Groups meets monthly for 6 months to explore a wide range of leadership/professional development topics including personal goals; professional goals; strengths; weaknesses; next steps to accomplishing professional objectives, etc. Since b|wise’s launch, BYP has fielded a total of 19 groups with 230+ BYPers moving through the program.
