254 Youth Policy Café (YPC) is a youth founded and run think and do tank based in Kenya with 6 co-founding members. 254 YPC exists to facilitate and coordinate the sharing of experiences, ideas, information, and strategies for championing the voice of youths in public policy formulation and implementation. This is done through policy dialogues, capacity building, networking, and communication, at the regional and international levels.
Since its inception in November 2020, 254 YPC has strategically positioned itself as a facilitator of policy dialogues around critical policy issues while creating platforms to bring the youth to the policy dialogue tables to enhance youth inclusive growth and development. 254 YPC ensures it presents the information and conversations in simple easy to understand language for the general public. Standing out is also the café’s efforts in capacity building the youth through short training and webinar series on careers and policy research. This strengthens the youth’s ability to understand policy issues and be able to influence policy formulation and implementation.
254 YPC continues to be intentional in sensitizing the public about policy issues at national, regional, and global levels, constantly ensuring the voices of the youth are amplified and their needs, priorities, and aspirations are prioritized in key policy dialogues and outcomes that have a direct and indirect impact on their lives.
254 YPC recognizes the power of social media platforms in engaging the youths. As such, 254 YPC advocacy work is channeled through social media platforms.
What We Do
As 254 YPC we seek to consistently share our expertise with a broader audience to educate, improve, and add value to the research and policy space as a whole. We seek to engage with our audience not only as consumers of the knowledge we share but also as contributors to sharpen our thoughts and help us publish high-quality content. Our target audience includes youth including students and those in the early stages of their careers, policymakers, and the general public.
With 254 YPC co-founding members being researchers and policy analysts, conducting policy research remains an important activity. Therefore, to inform our dialogues, we first identify policy issues and conduct research including desktop review to gain an in-depth understanding and different perspectives on the issue. We use data and information from credible sources to drive the conversations. We also offer consultancy services to interested parties on a case-to-case basis based on agreed terms.
254 YPC members with support from invited technical experts in different fields offer short training and webinar series targeting the youth including students and those in the early stages of their careers. The sessions cover issues affecting the youth, including careers, data mining, analysis, policy research, education, environment, human rights, democracy, population, health, drugs, peace, gender equality, community development, and leadership training. Our initiatives help young people gain market-relevant technical and life skills, and they foster enabling environments and enhance the systems within which we all live and work.
Policy dialogues remain the center stage of key activities conducted by 254 YPC. As such, 254 YPC remains intentional in forging partnerships with like-minded individuals and institutions to support the course while broadening its network. From time to time 254 YPC in collaboration with the partner individuals and institutions constantly engage each other in dialogues on topical policy issues to share experiences, strategies, and ideas. This is to better disseminate information to champion for better evidence-informed policy formulation and implementation. For wider outreach, 254 YPC uses its social media platforms to broaden its coverage while enhancing networking and communication