Learning to make an impact: this is how the Second National Meeting of the Youth Connection Hub was experienced

For three days, Armenia brought together young leaders, professionals, and decision-makers from the public and private sectors in a forum focused on youth well-being in Colombia. The Second National Meeting of the Youth Connection Hub, held in partnership with the University of Quindío, provided a platform to share experiences, connect lessons learned, and plan impactful initiatives for local communities.

Behind this meeting is a collaborative learning initiative facilitated by the Corona Foundation and the Public Value Center of EAFIT University, which today coordinates 15 initiatives in different regions of the country around key issues such as employment and entrepreneurship, youth participation and mental health.

More than 60 participants experienced a connection with the territory, such as a tour of the La Mariela neighborhood and the Quimbaya Museum, which allowed them to learn about local community transformation initiatives and translate them into visual formats through a proposal from the Young Gamechangers project (Armenia), recognizing the potential of actions led by young people to generate real changes in their communities.

Key conversations were also fostered to collaborate towards shared advocacy goals: “Initiatives like the Youth Connection Hub are key because they open up real spaces where young people can participate, make decisions, and build their present. They also help break down structural barriers that often limit their participation. The Hub becomes a bridge that connects their potential with concrete opportunities,” noted Marcus Jenal, Strategic Learning and Evaluation Leader at the Botnar Foundation.

One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of the learning outcomes developed by the Hub's working groups: the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being group presented a guide with best practices and lessons learned; the Employment and Entrepreneurship group shared a strategic document on barriers and opportunities for youth employment; and the Civic and Political Participation group launched Voices that Make an Impact , a game that presents real-world dilemmas of intergenerational participation, in which teams manage resources such as trust, legitimacy, and institutional coordination. These results reflect methodologies and insights aimed at expanding opportunities for young people in Colombia.

“Each table at the Youth Connection Hub built products that reflect key experiences and learnings about well-being,” said Angie Fuenmayor, youth leader of the NuestraBarranquilla initiative.

Young people also took on a leading role in the Learning in Action forums , where they moderated conversations with experts and decision-makers from the public and private sectors. “Participating as a moderator in the panel on Youth Participation reaffirms the importance of intergenerational dialogue to learn from different experiences and bring those lessons to our projects and organizations through the Hub as a platform,” stated Valeria Riaños, a professional with the Urban Futures Project at the SIDOC Foundation. This role was made possible thanks to a strategic relationship-building training program for young people, developed in partnership with the Mi Sangre Foundation.

With this meeting, the Youth Connection Hub is solidifying its position as a strategic platform that connects the voices, experiences, and evidence of young people with decision-making in the country. This demonstrates that when youth agency is strengthened and grounded in evidence, it can effectively influence national transformations.

Beyond the products and spaces for dialogue, the main value lies in the connections that are activated: new ideas, shared learning, and a collective base that drives sustainable changes in the territories.