knowledge for impact
the learning lab 2023 - 2024
Our Story. Our Power.
Storytelling is more than a method, it’s a movement.
In 2024, BCYF launched the learning lab around the theme “Our Story. Our Power.”, centering storytelling as a transformational tool for equity, connection, and change.
Over six months, youth-serving organizations, grassroots leaders, and community visionaries came together across Baltimore to build collective wisdom, deepen organizational capacity, and reimagine what’s possible for our youth development ecosystem.
We are grateful to the leaders, organizations, and community members who co-created this journey. Your voices, stories, and leadership illuminated the power of lived experience and affirmed what we know to be true: when Baltimore invests in community-rooted leadership, lasting impact follows.
At a Glance
- 95% of participants strongly agreed the lab advanced their knowledge and skills
- 91% strongly agreed it fostered meaningful collaboration and dialogue
(Evaluation conducted by the University of Maryland–Baltimore)
Looking Ahead
The 2024 learning lab affirmed what Baltimore’s grassroots leaders have long known: our stories carry power. Together, we created a learning environment that built relationships, challenged systems, and envisioned new possibilities.
We’re proud of what we built together in 2024. We carry this momentum forward as we dream bigger, listen deeper, and grow stronger with community at the center.
Sessions
February 2024: Opening Plenary, Reckoning with Our Shared History
BCYF convened youth development leaders for a powerful learning experience at The Legacy Sites, including the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. This experience invited participants to reflect on racial injustice, explore historical truths, and engage in justice-rooted dialogue grounded in community healing and transformation.
March–September 2024: Learning Circles
BCYF’s Learning Circles are peer-powered, cohort-based capacity-building series designed to foster learning, strategy, and collaboration across Baltimore’s youth development organizations.
Circle 1: Fundraising & Sustainability
This 6-session series equipped leaders with the tools to design three-year fundraising plans and tell compelling stories of impact. The culminating event gave participants the chance to present their work to local and national funders.
Circle 2: Echoes of Change: Storytelling for Nonprofit Impact
Participants crafted signature stories to power fundraising, team engagement, and narrative strategy. These stories were shared at the 2024 Community Exhibition, amplifying the work and wisdom of youth-centered organizations across Baltimore.
Circle 3: Results-Based Accountability for Program Evaluation
This track helped organizations evaluate their impact without needing external consultants. Leaders built action plans rooted in real-time data and shared their progress with peers and stakeholders during the 2024 Community Exhibition.
March 2024: gather! March, Honoring Black & Brown Women in Leadership
In March, BCYF hosted an intimate evening designed to uplift Black and Brown women leaders in Baltimore. Through connection, storytelling, and shared wisdom, participants explored collective care, visibility, and sustaining leadership in youth-serving spaces.
April 2024: gather! April, The Baltimore Community ToolBank
This convening invited leaders to explore a local “hidden gem” while reflecting on the tools, both physical and relational, that support community building. Participants left inspired by the possibilities that emerge when nonprofits collaborate creatively.
May 2024: gather! May, Mentorship & Connection
BCYF’s May gather! brought together youth development leaders committed to mentorship as partnership. Through facilitated dialogue, resource sharing, and storytelling, leaders built new relationships and identified shared priorities for future collaboration.
June 2024: Community Exhibition, A Celebration of Connection
Held at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum, the Community Exhibition was a vibrant celebration of our shared journey. More than 150 participants gathered to showcase work from the Learning Circles, plenaries, and gather! events. The evening featured storytelling exhibits, organizational showcases, and space for intergenerational reflection.
June 2024: gather! June, Listening Session with Violence Interruption Leaders
BCYF convened an intimate gathering with violence interruption leaders to explore opportunities for alignment and support. The conversation lifted up frontline expertise and underscored BCYF’s commitment to investing in transformative, community-rooted safety strategies.
