Our Story

 

In 2006, future YEP! Founder and Executive Director Corrin Wendell was attending graduate school at The Ohio State University, working toward her Masters of City and Regional Planning. She and future YEP! Vice-President Monica Tibbits-Nutt were asked to develop a “Planners’ Day in School” manual by one of their professor as an independent project. This manual would consist of step-by-step instructions for leading a variety of planning activities for young people in grades K-12, and would serve the outreach goals of the university within the City of Columbus. Read more about Corrin’s personal journey here.

This manual became the catalyst for an entire journey.

After founding YEP! Youth Engagement in Planning, Corrin enthusiastically invited Monica to join the Board of Directors. Over the next decade and a half, the non-profit evolved from a dynamic duo to a cross-national team. Meet the entire current Board of Directors here.

Today, Corrin, Monica, and their team visit schools across the country—educating young people about planning and civic engagement and mentoring those interested in exploring a career in planning and related fields.

YEP! is also a frequent presenter at local and national planning conferences, in the hopes of empowering as many practicing planners as possible to invite young people into their planning processes. Check out our Upcoming Events page to see if we will be presenting near you. Or, in the meantime, check out our Videos page to get a sense of what a YEP! event might be like.

Our Mission

  • To educate young people about the planning process, effective governance and advocacy, and good citizenship.

  • To introduce young people to careers in planning, local government, and related professions – especially youth in underserved communities, so that future generations of planners genuinely represent the communities they serve.

  • To facilitate real leadership opportunities for young people so that they can meaningfully participate in advocacy, provide input in community plan-making, and share their perspectives.

  • To support volunteers focusing on educating students K-12 about urban planning and civic engagement.

  • To provide tools and resources so that planners feel empowered to involve youth in local planning processes.